riot

noun

/ˈraɪət/

Idioms

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[countable] a situation in which a group of people behave in a violent way in a public place, often as a protest
- One prison guard was killed when a riot broke out in the jail.
- He was killed in the riots.
- Shortages eventually led to food riots.
see also race riot
Wordfinder
- civil disobedience
- demonstrate
- hunger strike
- march
- occupy
- placard
- protest
- riot
- sabotage
- uprising
Extra Examples
- Prison riots broke out over worsening conditions.
- The city's housing and unemployment problems provoked serious riots.
- a riot against bread prices
- the violent draft riots during the Civil War
- Food riots resulted in two deaths and looting throughout the city.
- His arrest caused widespread riots that the government suppressed with brutality.
Topics Social issuesc1, Crime and punishmentc1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- major
- serious
- full-scale
- …
verb + riot
- cause
- incite
- instigate
- …
riot + verb
- begin
- break out
- erupt
- …
riot + noun
- cop
- police
- squad
- …
preposition
- during a/the riot
- in a/the riot
- riot against
- …
phrases
- run riot
See full entry
[singular] riot of something (formal) a collection of a lot of different types of the same thing
- The garden was a riot of colour.
- The market was a riot of unfamiliar sounds and smells.
- A riot of emotions raged through her.
a riot
[singular] (old-fashioned, informal) a person or an event that is very funny
- The movie is a laugh riot.

Word OriginMiddle English (originally in the sense ‘dissolute living’): from Old French riote ‘debate’, from rioter ‘to quarrel’, of unknown ultimate origin.

Idioms

read (somebody) the Riot Act

(British English) to tell somebody with force that they must not do something

run riot

(of people) to behave in a way that is violent and/or not under control synonym rampage
- They let their kids run riot.
- Local youths ran riot after the attack.
if your imagination, a feeling, etc. runs riot, you allow it to develop and continue without trying to control it
- An artist must learn to let his imagination run riot.
- These prejudices have been allowed to run riot for too long.
(of plants) to grow and spread quickly

riot

verb

/ˈraɪət/

[intransitive]

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they riot	/ˈraɪət/ /ˈraɪət/
he / she / it riots	/ˈraɪəts/ /ˈraɪəts/
past simple rioted	/ˈraɪətɪd/ /ˈraɪətɪd/
past participle rioted	/ˈraɪətɪd/ /ˈraɪətɪd/
-ing form rioting	/ˈraɪətɪŋ/ /ˈraɪətɪŋ/

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(of a crowd of people) to behave in a violent way in a public place, often as a protest
- Students all over the country rioted against the government.
- The fans rioted after their team lost.
Topics Social issuesc1, Crime and punishmentc1
Word OriginMiddle English (originally in the sense ‘dissolute living’): from Old French riote ‘debate’, from rioter ‘to quarrel’, of unknown ultimate origin.