Word of the Day - 12/24/25
vociferous
/voʊ'sɪfərəs/(adj.): conspicuously and offensively loud; given to vehement outcry
The vociferous crowd protested the judge's decision with loud shouts and jeers.
Word Origin
The word 'vociferous' originates from Latin. It is derived from 'vociferari', meaning "to shout, bawl". This Latin verb itself is composed of 'vox' (genitive 'vocis'), meaning "voice" or "call", and '-fer' from 'ferre', meaning "to bear" or "to carry". Thus, 'vociferous' literally means "bearing a voice" or "full of voice", referring to someone who is loud and forceful in their expression. The suffix '-ous' is from the Latin '-osus', meaning "full of" or "abounding in".
Many English words share roots with 'vociferous'. From 'vox' (voice), we get words like 'voice', 'vocal', 'vocation', 'invoke', 'provoke', and 'advocate'. From 'ferre' (to bear/carry), we derive words such as 'ferry', 'transfer', 'refer', 'confer', 'suffer', and 'fertility'. Words ending in '-ferous' that denote carrying or bearing something include 'coniferous' (bearing cones), 'odoriferous' (bearing odor), and 'aquiferous' (bearing water).