rampant
Americanadjective
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violent in action or spirit; raging; furious.
a rampant leopard.
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growing luxuriantly, as weeds.
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in full sway; prevailing or unchecked.
a rampant rumor.
- Synonyms:
- unrestrained, widespread, rife
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(of an animal) standing on the hind legs; ramping.
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Heraldry. (of a beast used as a charge) represented in profile facing the dexter side, with the body upraised and resting on the left hind leg, the tail and other legs elevated, the right foreleg highest, and the head in profile unless otherwise specified.
a lion rampant.
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Architecture. (of an arch or vault) springing at one side from one level of support and resting at the other on a higher level.
adjective
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unrestrained or violent in behaviour, desire, opinions, etc
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growing or developing unchecked
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(postpositive) heraldry (of a beast) standing on the hind legs, the right foreleg raised above the left
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(of an arch) having one abutment higher than the other
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of rampant
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Old French, literally, “creeping, climbing,” present participle of ramper “to creep, crawl, climb”; see ramp 1
Explanation
Rampant means wild or out of control. Unruly children might run rampant at the supermarket, knocking cereal boxes off shelves and thoroughly annoying the customers. If you're running rampant, you're on a rampage. Both come from the French word ramper meaning "to climb, creep" like an animal on hind legs, paws in climbing-mode, or like wild plants such as the kudzu that ran rampant over an old barn until the entire thing was covered. There can also be rampant wildfires that destroy houses in the Southwest, or robots that run rampant in the lab after the janitor accidentally sets them free.
Vocabulary lists containing rampant
The Diary of a Young Girl
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Beowulf
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This Week in Words: September 4 - 8, 2017
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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.
Once a small-bore banana republic marked by political instability, its weak institutions, rampant corruption and attractive location made it a target for gangsters looking to create a transit hub.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 11, 2026
Splintering, fracturing and rampant "mini-lateralism" will only be applauded by Europe's adversaries, they believe.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Villanueva said he and many of the deputies he talks to feel that crime has run rampant since he left office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Waller said in an interview after the presentation that misinformation about the cameras is rampant online, and he called automated license plate readers a helpful and natural improvement in policing.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
The gate between the rampant wolves was wrought iron, bearing the symbol of the sacred ash and bordered by a high, spiked fence that circled the Ice Court’s grounds.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
