rambling
[ ram-bling ]
/ ˈræm blɪŋ /
adjective
aimlessly wandering.
taking an irregular course; straggling: a rambling brook.
spread out irregularly in various directions: a rambling mansion.
straying from one subject to another; desultory: a rambling novel.
RELATED CONTENT
The Best (Worst) Ways to Say GoodbyeWhat do you do when you want to say “goodbye” to something (or someone), but don’t really want to include the good part of that sentiment? Without being outright rude, it can be tough to achieve. Unfortunately, badbye isn’t a real word yet (to learn more about how to make that happen, check this article). But, that’s not going to stop us from exploring the …
RELATED WORDS
disjointed, circuitous, long-winded, incoherent, diffuse, confused, covering, scattered, trailing, strewn, straggling, desultory, digressive, discursive, incongruous, irregular, prolix, periphrastic, gangling, random
Nearby words
- rambert, dame marie,
- rambla,
- ramble,
- ramble on,
- rambler,
- ramblingly,
- rambo,
- ramboesque,
- rambouillet,
- rambunctious
Origin of rambling
ramble
[ ram-buhl ]
/ ˈræm bəl /
verb (used without object), ram·bled, ram·bling.
to wander around in a leisurely, aimless manner: They rambled through the shops until closing time.
to take a course with many turns or windings, as a stream or path.
to grow in a random, unsystematic fashion: The vine rambled over the walls and tree trunks.
to talk or write in a discursive, aimless way (usually followed by on): The speaker rambled on with anecdote after anecdote.
verb (used with object), ram·bled, ram·bling.
to walk aimlessly or idly over or through: They spent the spring afternoon rambling woodland paths.
noun
a walk without a definite route, taken merely for pleasure.
Origin of ramble
First recorded in 1610–20; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for rambling
rambling
/ (ˈræmblɪŋ) /
adjective
straggling or sprawling haphazardly; unplanneda rambling old house
(of speech or writing) lacking a coherent plan; diffuse and disconnected
(of a plant, esp a rose) profusely climbing and straggling
nomadic; wandering
ramble
/ (ˈræmbəl) /
verb (intr)
to stroll about freely, as for relaxation, with no particular direction
(of paths, streams, etc) to follow a winding course; meander
(of plants) to grow in a random fashion
(of speech, writing, etc) to lack organization
noun
a leisurely stroll, esp in the countryside
Word Origin for ramble
C17: probably related to Middle Dutch rammelen to roam (of animals); see ram
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
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper