"rave" means: A late-night dance event focused on EDM, house, or techno. Once underground, now ranges from warehouse parties to massive festivals.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
rave
A late-night dance event focused on EDM, house, or techno.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1980 · 1 year of recorded useSeen in the wild
Jetting you back to the 90s world of electronic love SLE Radio Rave: every single day by davie forbes! Tune in now: https://sleradio.com or Google App: https://bit.ly/NewSLEAPP #SLERADIO #Electronicdance
L'ALTER INFO - Boulevard Voltaire Fin de la rave party dans le Cher : la gauche antifa s’amuse, les Français paient ! https://www.bvoltaire.fr/fin-de-la-rave-party-dans-le-cher-la-gauche-antifa-samuse-les-francais-…
Weekly Listens (Dance-Punk & New Rave Edition)
ah mais On de Aphex Twin a l'air très inspiré de ce titre oldschool de rave : 4-MEGA - DROP THIS www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im9D... c'est plutôt flagrant dans l'esprit et les harmoniques !
Sound Rave - Extra feat.Tamako #NowPlaying #足立区民放送 #五反野FM https://gotanno.love/
Definitions
A late-night dance event focused on EDM, house, or techno. Once underground, now ranges from warehouse parties to massive festivals.
“ah mais On de Aphex Twin a l'air très inspiré de ce titre oldschool de rave : 4-MEGA - DROP THIS www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im9D... c'est plutôt flagrant dans l'esprit et les harmoniques !”
"They're flying out for the desert rave."
"rave" means: A late-night dance event focused on EDM, house, or techno. Once underground, now ranges from warehouse parties to massive festivals.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"rave" means: A late-night dance event focused on EDM, house, or techno. Once underground, now ranges from warehouse parties to massive festivals.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
“Jetting you back to the 90s world of electronic love SLE Radio Rave: every single day by davie forbes! Tune in now: https://sleradio.com or Google App: https://bit.ly/NewSLEAPP #SLERADIO #Electronicdance”
— Bluesky· May 2026“L'ALTER INFO - Boulevard Voltaire Fin de la rave party dans le Cher : la gauche antifa s’amuse, les Français paient ! https://www.bvoltaire.fr/fin-de-la-rave-party-dans-le-cher-la-gauche-antifa-samuse-les-francais-paient/ 05-05-2026 16:00”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Weekly Listens (Dance-Punk & New Rave Edition)”
— Bluesky· May 2026“ah mais On de Aphex Twin a l'air très inspiré de ce titre oldschool de rave : 4-MEGA - DROP THIS www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im9D... c'est plutôt flagrant dans l'esprit et les harmoniques !”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Sound Rave - Extra feat.Tamako #NowPlaying #足立区民放送 #五反野FM https://gotanno.love/”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
A large-scale dance party with strobe lights and fast-paced electronic dance music, often illegally organized open-air or in underground venues.
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Show 5 more dictionary-style senses (imported)
The genres of electronic dance music made to be played in rave parties.
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To speak or write wildly or incoherently.
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To be mentally unclear; to be delirious; to talk or act irrationally; to be wild, furious, or raging.
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To talk with excessive enthusiasm, passion or excitement.
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An enthusiastic review (such as of a play).
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "rave" (R)
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