rumbustious

English

Etymology

From rum- (“strong, very”) +‎ bust +‎ -ious.

Alternatively, possibly from an alteration of robustious.

Adjective

rumbustious (comparative more rumbustious, superlative most rumbustious)

  1. (chiefly British, informal) Boisterous and unruly.
    Synonym: (chiefly US) rambunctious
    • 1912, Blanche Edith Baughan, “Red and Yellow and Ripe”, in Brown Bread from a Colonial Oven:
      “Childer! Borne ’em I ’ave, an’ buried ’em I ’ave, but now I can’t seem to do wi’ their clatter no more—young things is that restless an’ rumbustious.”
    • 1955 February, Michael Robbins, “A Railway Treaty: The Brighton and South Eastern Agreement of 1848”, in Railway Magazine, page 98:
      In the rumbustious atmosphere of the mania years, 1845 and 1846, this state of things gave rise to acrimony which both sides faced with confidence; but as the reaction set in during 1847, it seemed better to come to terms.
    • 2009, Michela Wrong, It’s Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle Blower:
      Joe Githongo had paid a personal price during the Moi era, and proved his credentials during the rumbustious multi-party years, working as a fundraiser for Kibaki’s Democratic Party.

Alternative forms

Derived terms

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