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Synonyms

rambunctious

American  
[ram-buhngk-shuhs] / ræmˈbʌŋk ʃəs /

adjective

  1. difficult to control or handle; wildly boisterous.

    a rambunctious child.

  2. turbulently active and noisy.

    a social gathering that became rambunctious and out of hand.


rambunctious British  
/ ræmˈbʌŋkʃəs /

adjective

  1. informal boisterous; unruly

"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

Other Word Forms

  • rambunctiously adverb
  • rambunctiousness noun

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing rambunctious

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 play will be "a rambunctious comedy of deception and disguise inspired by the grand swashbuckling epics of stage and screen", and will reach the stage in early 2027, the announcement said.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

When I asked what time the neighbors we invited over for Thanksgiving wanted to come, they just informed me that their 4-year-old is too rambunctious to sit still for dinner.

From Salon • Nov. 26, 2025

The rambunctious Milei is maturing politically, UBS’ Czerwonko observes, “making efforts to appear more empathetic.”

From Barron's • Oct. 24, 2025

It’s widely accepted that the Ryder Cup has an environment that’s far more rambunctious than the typical golf tournament.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 27, 2025

They were reckless, puerile, congenial, naive, presumptuous, deferential and rambunctious.

From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller