rambunctious
Americanadjective
-
difficult to control or handle; wildly boisterous.
a rambunctious child.
-
turbulently active and noisy.
a social gathering that became rambunctious and out of hand.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rambunctious
An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; origin uncertain
Explanation
Rambunctious means "noisy and out of control," like a rambunctious child who is so hard to handle that no babysitter has ever come back a second time. People who are rambunctious, pronounced "ram-BUNK-shus," can be fun — to a point. Laughing a little too loudly, or too often, seems refreshing at first — so what if people sitting at other tables have started to look over? But after a while, rambunctious behavior makes you feel tired. You never know when the high energy of the rambunctious is going to cross over to obnoxiousness, when things will spill, feelings get hurt, and apologies need to be made.
Vocabulary lists containing rambunctious
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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.
What was the guiding vision of this rambunctious company?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
The American college game is known for being brasher and noisier than the professional ranks, with Fery showing he could thrive in a rambunctious atmosphere.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
She brought her dog, a small, rambunctious golden doodle who kept moving around under the table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
In elementary school, I was rambunctious and outgoing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Since she was the only girl in our family of rambunctious boys, that probably wasn't surprising.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
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.
