trample
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to tread or step heavily and noisily; stamp.
-
to tread heavily, roughly, or crushingly (usually followed by on, upon, orover ).
to trample on a flower bed.
-
to act in a harsh, domineering, or cruel manner, as if treading roughly (usually followed by on, upon, orover ).
to trample on another's feelings.
verb (used with object)
-
to tread heavily, roughly, or carelessly on or over; tread underfoot.
-
to domineer harshly over; crush.
to trample law and order.
-
to put out or extinguish by trampling (usually followed byout ).
to trample out a fire.
noun
-
the act of trampling.
-
the sound of trampling.
verb
-
to stamp or walk roughly (on)
to trample the flowers
-
to encroach (upon) so as to violate or hurt
to trample on someone's feelings
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has trampledperfect 3rd person singular
-
have trampledperfect
-
has been tramplingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
is tramplingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
tramplingparticiple
-
are tramplingprogressive
-
am tramplingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been tramplingperfect progressive
-
tramplessingular 3rd person
Past
-
had trampledperfect
-
were tramplingprogressive plural
-
had been tramplingperfect progressive
-
was tramplingprogressive singular
-
trampledparticiple
-
trampledsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of trample
1350–1400; Middle English tramplen to stamp (cognate with German trampeln ); see tramp, -le
Explanation
To trample is to forcefully walk right over something or someone. If you fall down during a footrace, another runner might trample you. When you trample, you're stomping or stamping: it's the opposite of walking on tippy toes. A dog might trample a flower garden while chasing a ball, and an angry child might deliberately trample her sister's sandcastle, flattening it with her feet. The verb trample comes from tramp, "walk heavily or stamp," which is rooted in the Middle Low German word trampen, "to tramp, stamp, or press upon."
Vocabulary lists containing trample
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"When Cultures Meet"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Joe Middleton, Devon site manager for the Woodland Trust, said: "Stay on the path, keep your dog on a lead, use the zoom on your camera, don't trample all over them."
From BBC • May 10, 2026
One running gag involves the hotel’s irritation at the nearby goats who trample on the hoods of parked cars.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
The FPA called on the police to "immediately take action against the officers involved in this unprovoked assault and to act in the future to safeguard press freedoms, rather than trample upon them."
From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026
Not even the creature’s eloquence moves Victor to self-reflection: “O Frankenstein, be not equitable to every other, and trample upon me alone, to whom thy justice, and even thy clemency and affection, is most due.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026
“We need to stay calm and escort these nice people out of the building before they trample one another. Jane, if you could get their attention?”
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
