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Raise Cain

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To create a disturbance, commotion, or uproar; biblical reference to raising Cain, suggesting noisy, disruptive behavior that attracts attention and disrupts peaceful circumstances.

Detailed Definition
Raise Cain means to cause trouble, make a loud disturbance, protest angrily, or behave disruptively. The phrase evokes biblical Cain and therefore carries undertones of violence, disorder, guilt, and rebellion, even when used colloquially. In poetry, it can describe children, mobs, reformers, revellers, or a speaker refusing quiet obedience. A poet may use it humorously or darkly, depending on the stakes. It is useful for scenes where suppressed energy erupts into noise, defiance, or moral disturbance.
Example
Example in poetry:
A comic ballad might say the children raised Cain when the fair was cancelled; In a rebellion poem, the workers raise Cain outside the locked mill gates; The phrase means to cause noisy trouble or uproar; A poet can use it for mischief, protest, or unruly energy.
Additional Notes
Raise Cain means create noise, trouble, or disorder, drawing on the biblical figure Cain, associated with violence and rebellion. In poetry, it can give a phrase of moral disturbance an old, folkloric energy. It suits scenes of rowdy youth, social protest, domestic uproar, or comic chaos. Students should notice that the idiom invokes more than mere mischief: beneath the colloquial use lies an echo of primal conflict, guilt, and disorder.
Also Known As
cause trouble
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