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marauding

American  
[muh-raw-ding] / məˈrɔ dɪŋ /

adjective

  1. engaged in raiding for plunder, especially roaming about and ravaging an area.

    marauding bands of outlaws.

  2. undertaken for plunder.

    a marauding raid.
marauding British  
/ məˈrɔːdɪŋ /

adjective

  1. wandering or raiding in search of plunder or victims

"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

Etymology

Origin of marauding

First recorded in 1745–55; maraud + -ing 2

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.

The gang of marauding kids from that movie chased O’Brien through scenes of movies from “Marty Supreme” to an animated riff on “KPop Demon Hunters.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

Minnesota has sued the Trump administration in an effort to have the marauding immigration raids halted, even if temporarily, citing the letter as evidence of attempted coercion.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

A snatch of traveler’s gossip could have meant the difference between staying alive and losing your head to marauding Vikings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

For one more weekend in Long Beach, theatergoers can live out a mini marauding fantasy on an actual ship at “Pirates Wanted,” a limited-run revival of the troupe’s 2024 show.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2025

Capricorn's men climbed the steps and sat at their master's feet, Elinor among them like a pigeon with ruffled feathers in the middle of a mob of marauding crows.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

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.