rampant

[ram-puhnt]

adjective

1. violent in action or spirit; raging; furious.

   a rampant leopard.

2. growing luxuriantly, as weeds.

3. in full sway; prevailing or unchecked.

   a rampant rumor.

   Synonyms: unrestrained, widespread, rife

4. (of an animal) standing on the hind legs; ramping. ramp.

5. Heraldry.,  (of a beast used as a charge) represented in profile facing the dexter side, with the body upraised and resting on the left hind leg, the tail and other legs elevated, the right foreleg highest, and the head in profile unless otherwise specified.

   a lion rampant.

6. Architecture.,  (of an arch or vault) springing at one side from one level of support and resting at the other on a higher level.

rampant

/ ˈræmpənt /

adjective

1. unrestrained or violent in behaviour, desire, opinions, etc

2. growing or developing unchecked

3. (postpositive) heraldry (of a beast) standing on the hind legs, the right foreleg raised above the left

4. (of an arch) having one abutment higher than the other

Other Word Forms

• rampantly adverb
• rampancy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of rampant¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French, literally, “creeping, climbing,” present participle of ramper “to creep, crawl, climb”; ramp ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of rampant¹

C14: from Old French ramper to crawl, rear; see _ramp

Example Sentences

The anti-Israel encampments on the quad are mostly gone, but we’re starting to learn what happened behind the scenes when universities let antisemitism run rampant on campus.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But enforcement has been inconsistent, and left-wing activism is still rampant in classrooms and school administrations.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

It’s her humane attempt to combat Hell’s rampant overpopulation, which has been typically managed through “extermination.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It is believed they may be descended from indigenous people who fled into the deep jungle in the late 19th Century, escaping rampant exploitation and widespread massacres by so-called "rubber barons".

Read more on BBC

So he founded the Enhanced Games to correct what he viewed as rampant hypocrisy that left athletes not only underpaid, but also limited in their potential by constantly shifting and arbitrary rules.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• excessive 
• flagrant 
• growing 
• prevalent 
• raging www.thesaurus.com
• rife 
• runaway 
• spreading www.thesaurus.com
• unbridled 
• unchecked 
• uncontrollable 
• unhindered 
• unrestrained 
• wanton