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
- rambunctiously adverb
- rambunctiousness noun
Etymology
Origin of rambunctious
An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; origin uncertain
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
A few yards away, Iglesias is watching Roka, his tiny black chihuahua, dart around the field like four pounds of rambunctious entitlement.
From Los Angeles Times
It’s also loud, as the sounds of a rambunctious funk band next door work to penetrate the space.
From Los Angeles Times
I jumped, but it was just Mrs. Peevey talking to her rambunctious hogs.
From Literature
Josh is a proud graduate of the University of South Carolina and the enthusiastic owner of a rambunctious rescue dog named Pepper.
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.
