rampage

1 of 2

verb

ram·​page ˈram-ˌpāj How to pronounce rampage (audio)
(ˌ)ram-ˈpāj
rampaged; rampaging

intransitive verb

: to rush wildly about

rampage

2 of 2

noun

ram·​page ˈram-ˌpāj How to pronounce rampage (audio)
: a course of violent, riotous, or reckless action or behavior
rampageous adjective
rampageously adverb
rampageousness noun

Examples of rampage in a Sentence

Verb Rioters rampaged through the streets of the city. Noun some crazy guy went on a rampage in the public library and started grabbing books off the shelves and tossing them around
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
World & Nation Bangladesh mourns some 200 deaths as student protests wind down and thousands are arrested July 30, 2024 Mobs rampaged across the country after Hasina fled. Krutika Pathi, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2024 The taste Alvarez showed in his Evil Dead remake and Don’t Breathe for third-act crescendos featuring rampaging abominations and nutty reveals is again in evidence here. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Aug. 2024
Noun
Later in the film, while on a violent rampage against the Daltons, Paddy begins singing the song out loud again to Ben. Tim Lammers, Forbes, 15 Sep. 2024 The deadly attack marked the 45th school shooting in 2024 and the deadliest US school shooting since the March 2023 rampage at The Covenant School in Nashville that left six people dead. Ashley R. Williams, CNN, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rampage 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rampage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

originally Scots, probably an extension of ramp "to rage, storm about" (going back to early Scots and Middle English, "to rear up on the hind legs"), with a termination of uncertain origin — more at ramp entry 4

Note: The Scottish National Dictionary regards rampage as a blend of ramp "to rage, storm about" and rage (see rage entry 2); the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, on the other hand, hypothesizes "perhaps ramp [the verb] + -age [the suffix -age]. As the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, points out, the original place of stress (and concomitantly the pronunciation) are unknown.

Noun

noun derivative of rampage entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1692, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1861, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rampage was in 1692

Dictionary Entries Near rampage

Cite this Entry

“Rampage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rampage. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

rampage

1 of 2 verb
ram·​page ˈram-ˌpāj How to pronounce rampage (audio)
(ˈ)ram-ˈpāj
rampaged; rampaging
: to rush wildly about

rampage

2 of 2 noun
ram·​page ˈram-ˌpāj How to pronounce rampage (audio)
: a course of violent or reckless action or behavior
rampageous adjective
rampageously adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on rampage

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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