German word

Krawall

Pronunciation

IPA/kʁaˈval/

Meaning

  • masculine nounriot

Example

Die Fans machten nach dem Spiel Krawalle.

The fans caused a riot after the game.

Illustration for Krawall (riot)

More examples

Die Situation artete in Krawall aus.

The situation escalated into a riot.

Core concept

A noisy crowd fills a street, shouting, pushing, and throwing the surrounding public space into disorder.

Common phrases

  • in Krawall ausarten

    escalate into a riot

  • einen Krawall provozieren

    cause a riot

Similar words

Randale: Violent disorder in which people damage buildings or other property.
Protest: Organized public action expressing shared opinions or demands.
Aufruhr: A broad outbreak of social or political anger and unrest.
Tumult: A sudden, noisy disturbance with jostling and confusion.

Definition in German

ein Tumult oder Aufruhr, bei dem eine Gruppe von Menschen randaliert, Lärm macht und die Ordnung stört

Word origin

Krawall is generally traced to Low German kravel and related forms for quarrelling or noisy agitation, with the modern noun denoting collective public disturbance.

Usage tips

  • Krawall is masculine, and its plural is Krawalle; Krawall machen describes causing or making such a disturbance.

Other meanings

  • disturbancenoun

Opposites

Related words

  • Krawallmacherriot-makernoun
  • krawalligraucousadjective

Word lists with this word