ramp
1 Americannoun
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a sloping surface connecting two levels; incline.
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a short concave slope or bend, as one connecting the higher and lower parts of a staircase railing at a landing.
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any extensive sloping walk or passageway.
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the act of ramping.
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Also called boarding ramp. a movable staircase for entering or leaving a cabin door of an airplane.
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Also called parking ramp. apron.
verb (used without object)
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ramps,
present (3rd person singular)
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ramped,
past participle, past
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ramping
present participle
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to rise or grow steadily; climb.
The private debt crisis is due partly to insanely ramping student loan debt.
Here are my top 10 tips for ramping quickly in a new sales role.
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Chiefly British. to rush or dash about (usually followed by about oraround ).
No need to go ramping around to different plant nurseries—we have the perfect soil mix right here.
Our littlest guests can enjoy themselves ramping about the adventure playroom.
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to act or move about wildly or furiously; rage; storm (often followed by about oraround ).
If it were me ramping and raging in here like that, you'd call security to escort me out.
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(of a lion or other large quadruped on a coat of arms) to be depicted in a stylized way, standing on the hind legs with forelegs raised.
The green ramping lion on the silver shield is taken from the Shireburn coat of arms.
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(of an animal) to stand or move with the forelegs raised, as in animosity or excitement; rear.
The painting shows Napoleon astride a ramping horse.
The author vividly describes the angry bear ramping from side to side.
verb (used with object)
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ramps,
present (3rd person singular)
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ramped,
past participle, past
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ramping
present participle
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to provide with a ramp or ramps.
Entrances will be ramped to accommodate those in wheelchairs.
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to increase or raise in amount, intensity, extent, etc., especially steadily; build.
They’ve come up with a plan to ramp national production of renewable energy.
Suddenly, after a barrage of wordy lyrics, she ramps the song into soaring gospel mode.
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British. to buy up (shares) in order to generate demand and increase the share price, with the fraudulent intention of quickly selling afterward.
The bank's brokers have been accused of ramping shares in a mining company.
verb phrase
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ramp up. see ramp-up.
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ramp along to sail on a tack with all sails filled.
noun
noun
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a sloping floor, path, etc, that joins two surfaces at different levels
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a movable stairway by which passengers enter and leave an aircraft
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the act of ramping
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slang a swindle, esp one involving exorbitant prices
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another name for sleeping policeman
verb
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(intr; often foll by about or around) (esp of animals) to rush around in a wild excited manner
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to act in a violent or threatening manner, as when angry (esp in the phrase ramp and rage )
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(tr) finance to buy (a security) in the market with the object of raising its price and enhancing the image of the company behind it for financial gain
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rampsimple
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rampssimple
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have rampedperfect
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has rampedperfect
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am rampingprogressive
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are rampingprogressive
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is rampingprogressive
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have been rampingperfect progressive
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has been rampingperfect progressive
Past
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rampedsimple
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had rampedperfect
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was rampingprogressive
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were rampingprogressive
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had been rampingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of ramp1
First recorded in 1350–1400; (for the verb) Middle English ra(u)mpen “to creep, crawl, climb,” from Old French ramper, ranper “to creep, crawl, climb”; (for the noun) from French rampe, derivative of ramper, ranper
Origin of ramp2
First recorded in 1820–30; back formation from ramps, ramson, variant (with intrusive p ) of rams, earlier rammys, originally the singular of ramson
Explanation
A ramp is a slope or an incline, a surface that tilts from one level to another. Someone using a wheelchair might need a ramp to get from the doorway of a building down to its parking lot. A skateboarder might use a ramp to gather speed, while a man pushing a stroller uses it to push his baby onto the sidewalk after crossing the street. Passengers also walk down ramps when they exit boats and trains. There's also the plant called a ramp, also known as wild onion or wild garlic. As a verb, to ramp means to provide with a ramp, but the more common "to ramp up" means "to increase."
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.
See Examples For:
It adds that the prime minister has instructed authorities to "ramp up security" on flights to Israel, regardless of whether they are operated by Israeli or non-Israeli airlines.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
However, Treiber says that Xanadu offers a “unique exposure to photonics-based quantum computing” as the company and sector ramp up to “quantum monetization” in 2030.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
At the top of a large ramp, Ali emerged out of the dark night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
They could then ramp up to between $40 billion and $50 billion a quarter.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
They stood on the ramp and watched as the man pushed the boat into deeper water.
From "I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005" by Lauren Tarshis
While El Nino ramps up weather conditions in some parts, it produces a vacuum in others.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
Young people took turns on the ramps outside Neighbors Skate Shop.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The moves mark an expansion of Costco’s fast-delivery network, as the membership warehouse retailer ramps up its e-commerce offerings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
According to CEO Elon Musk, the Cybercab is expected to eventually be sold for less than $30,000 as production ramps up.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
The man was so strong that, in the days before handicap ramps, he could lift Collins and the chair all at once—up and down the stairs of homes or restaurants.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
The region’s major crude producers have ramped up supplies through alternative pipelines, ports and ship-to-ship transfers to navigate disruptions due to the Iran conflict.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
Along with its neighbours, Latvia and Lithuania, the country has ramped up defence investment and remains a staunch ally of Kyiv.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
Since then, most of these countries have ramped up exports to the U.S., “importing” U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
However, he has ramped up bullpen sessions and is targeting a postseason return as a reliever.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Without fanfare, work on the Bevatron was halted and ramped up instead on the Materials Testing Accelerator, or MTA, as the new machine was inelegantly dubbed.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Raman says she’s running to make L.A. “a city that works,” improving basic services while also ramping up housing production and helping revive the entertainment industry.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
UBS worries management could be stretched by building and ramping up across two countries—Cambodia and Australia—at the same time, and that consensus expectations are too high.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Newcomer Donald started the carnage, ramping Dushmantha Chameera's first ball over the ropes, before Buttler joined the party and Brook then launched three of his own into the stands.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
And the operation appears to be ramping up.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
‘The shrine is ramping up our emotions,’ she said.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
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.
