rant
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
-
ranting, extravagant, or violent declamation.
- Synonyms:
- extravagance, bombast
-
a ranting utterance.
verb
-
to utter (something) in loud, violent, or bombastic tones
-
(intr) to make merry; frolic
noun
-
loud, declamatory, or extravagant speech; bombast
-
a wild revel
-
an energetic dance or its tune
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has rantedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have rantedperfect
-
are rantingprogressive
-
is rantingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am rantingprogressive 1st person singular
-
have been rantingperfect progressive
-
has been rantingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
rantssingular 3rd person
-
rantingparticiple
Past
-
had rantedperfect
-
were rantingprogressive plural
-
had been rantingperfect progressive
-
rantedparticiple
-
was rantingprogressive singular
-
rantedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of rant
First recorded in 1590–1600, rant is from the Dutch word ranten (obsolete) to talk foolishly
Explanation
A rant is an argument that is fueled by passion, not shaped by facts. When the shouting starts on talk radio, or when a blog commenter resorts to ALL CAPS, you're almost certainly encountering a rant. Rant comes from the Dutch ranten, "to talk nonsense." Rave is a close synonym — in fact, "to rant and rave" is a popular expression. When rant is used as a noun, it means something like tirade. The first recorded usage of rant is from the end of the sixteenth century, in Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. By the middle of the turbulent seventeenth century, the name Ranters was used as a catchall pejorative for various groups of radical Christian dissenters.
Vocabulary lists containing rant
Instead of "Said": Vexed Verbiage to Express Anger
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"The Hunger Games" Vocabulary from Chapter 1
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The Secret Life of Bees
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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.
Its tongue-in-cheek membership criteria include being chronically online and having "the ability to rant professionally".
From BBC • May 23, 2026
It was Ferguson's quip after narrowly beating Leeds, suggesting teams "raise their game" against Manchester United, that proved the spark for Keegan's famous rant.
From BBC • Apr. 13, 2026
“It was the worst halftime show ever,” she said in an Instagram rant that has been deleted but was much circulated on social media.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026
Let me clarify that this is not some “dinosaur rails against extinction-level comet collision” rant.
From Salon • Jan. 30, 2026
Dad pauses his rant and holds up his hands.
From "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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.
