rambling

American  

[ram-bling] / ˈræm blɪŋ /

adjective

1. aimlessly wandering.

2. taking an irregular course; straggling.

   a rambling brook.

3. spread out irregularly in various directions.

   a rambling mansion.

4. straying from one subject to another; desultory.

   a rambling novel.

   Synonyms:

   discursive

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rambling British  

/ ˈræmblɪŋ /

adjective

1. straggling or sprawling haphazardly; unplanned

   a rambling old house

2. (of speech or writing) lacking a coherent plan; diffuse and disconnected

3. (of a plant, esp a rose) profusely climbing and straggling

4. nomadic; wandering

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Other Word Forms

• ramblingly adverb
• ramblingness noun
• unrambling adjective

Etymology

Origin of rambling

First recorded in 1615–25; ramble + -ing ²

Example Sentences

She was going to say a strange boy had broken into a room with a rare book and started rambling on about golden arrows.

From Literature

Yet Keaton’s off-kilter taste—reflected elsewhere in her rambling dialogue delivery and outré fashion sense—is in evidence in her attraction to the strange personalities asked to ruminate on the hereafter.

From The Wall Street Journal

Also in the village, with lower prices, the June Lake Villager Motel is a rambling property beneath a vintage mid-century sign.

From Los Angeles Times

The AI punctuates, formats and adapts his rambling into coherent copy.

From Los Angeles Times

"The patient recounts their past in a rambling manner. There is some interpersonal difficulty stemming from the patient's weak-tempered nature, typical for their age."

From BBC

Related Words

• circuitous
• disjointed
• incoherent
• long-winded