rampant

adjective

ram·​pant ˈram-pənt How to pronounce rampant (audio)
 also  -ˌpant
1
a
: rearing upon the hind legs with forelegs extended
b
: standing on one hind foot with one foreleg raised above the other and the head in profile
used of a heraldic animal
2
a
: marked by a menacing wildness, extravagance, or absence of restraint
rampant rumors
b
: profusely widespread
rampant weeds
rampantly adverb

Illustration of rampant

Illustration of rampant
  • a lion rampant

Examples of rampant in a Sentence

a weed that's rampant in this area the mayor promised to put a stop to the rampant crime that plagued the city
Recent Examples on the Web The measures give teeth to efforts to address the city’s open-air drug addiction crisis — and the street crime and rampant homelessness that come with it. Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024 While this has helped China avoid the rampant inflation experienced by much of the rest of the world, disposable household income has fallen as wages have stalled and property asset values have crashed. Laura He, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 As critics have pointed out, the flashiness of the party only underscore the rampant inequality plaguing India, where the richest 1% own over 40% of the country’s total wealth. Jane Thier, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 The ruling earlier this year raised doubts about the East African nation’s ability to coordinate the international community’s response to Haiti’s call for help to tackle rampant gang violence. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Mar. 2024 Baldwin posted the Reel to his own Instagram Stories with no further context on February 26, leading to rampant speculation about the couple’s marital status. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 29 Feb. 2024 This crash, marking the onset of the Great Depression, exposed numerous weaknesses in the market, such as rampant speculation and insufficient investor protections. Peter Goldstein, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The project comes after Cruise inked a splashy (but not exclusive) deal with Warner Bros. last month, leading to rampant speculation over what the pact would yield. Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Barry attempts to transform his life into something unrecognizable with his handler on his tail, new love interests and laughs rampant. Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 25 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rampant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rampaunt, rampand, borrowed from Anglo-French rampant "crawling, rampant (in heraldry)," from present participle of ramper "to climb, rear up on the hind legs, creep" — more at ramp entry 4

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rampant was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rampant

Cite this Entry

“Rampant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rampant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rampant

adjective
ram·​pant ˈram-pənt How to pronounce rampant (audio)
 also  -ˌpant
1
: standing on the hind legs like a horse rearing
2
: not checked in growth or spread
rumor ran rampant
rampantly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on rampant

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!