Dictionary.com

arrant

[ ar-uhnt ]
/ ˈær ənt /
Save This Word!

adjective
downright; thorough; unmitigated; notorious: an arrant fool.
wandering; errant.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of arrant

1350–1400; Middle English, variant of errant

OTHER WORDS FROM arrant

ar·rant·ly, adverb

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH arrant

arrant , errant
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use arrant in a sentence

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

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

    The Dull Miss Archinard|Anne Douglas Sedgwick

British Dictionary definitions for arrant

arrant
/ (ˈærənt) /

adjective
utter; out-and-outan arrant fool

Derived forms of arrant

arrantly, adverb

Word Origin for arrant

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
FEEDBACK