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arrant

[ar-uh nt]
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adjective
  1. downright; thorough; unmitigated; notorious: an arrant fool.
  2. wandering; errant.
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Origin of arrant

1350–1400; Middle English, variant of errant
Related formsar·rant·ly, adverb
Can be confusedarrant errant

Synonyms

See more synonyms for arrant on Thesaurus.com
1. thoroughgoing, utter, confirmed, flagrant.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for arrantly

Historical Examples

  • You make me feel that I have been driving you—arrantly egotistic.

    The Dull Miss Archinard

    Anne Douglas Sedgwick

  • Twice her lips moved to the verge of speech; yet, caught so arrantly in the act, she was unable to phrase any passing thought.

British Dictionary definitions for arrantly

arrant

adjective
  1. utter; out-and-outan arrant fool
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Derived Formsarrantly, adverb

Word Origin

C14: a variant of errant (wandering, vagabond); sense developed from its frequent use in phrases like arrant thief (hence: notorious)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for arrantly

arrant

adj.

late 14c., variant of errant (q.v.); at first merely derogatory, "wandering, vagrant;" then (1540s) acquiring a meaning "thoroughgoing, downright, notorious."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper