rampant

adjective

ram·​pant ˈram-pənt 

 also  -ˌpant

1

a

: rearing upon the hind legs with forelegs extended

b

: standing on one hind foot with one foreleg raised above the other and the head in profile

—used of a heraldic animal

2

a

: marked by a menacing wildness, extravagance, or absence of restraint

rampant rumors

b

: profusely widespread

rampant weeds

rampantly adverb

Illustration of rampant

• a lion rampant

Synonyms

• abandoned
• intemperate
• raw
• runaway
• unbounded
• unbridled
• unchecked
• uncontrolled
• unhampered
• unhindered
• unrestrained

Examples of rampant in a Sentence

a weed that's rampant in this area

the mayor promised to put a stop to the rampant crime that plagued the city

Recent Examples on the Web

The belief that lying is rampant in the digital age just doesn’t match the data. —Big Think, 24 June 2024

Mexico exports the vast majority of its avocados to the U.S. Mexican officials have struggled to maintain secure conditions in Michoacan state, the biggest producer of avocados in the country, where gang violence and extortion are rampant. —Eric Martin and Kelsey Butler / Bloomberg, TIME, 18 June 2024

Read Next National Prison guard beatings of women are ‘rampant,’ experts say. —Julia Marnin, Miami Herald, 18 June 2024

And suddenly the idea that rampant fraud had occurred became a central line of rhetoric as Trump sought to explain his performance. —Philip Bump, Washington Post, 17 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rampaunt, rampand, borrowed from Anglo-French rampant "crawling, rampant (in heraldry)," from present participle of ramper "to climb, rear up on the hind legs, creep" — more at ramp entry 4

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing rampant

• run rampant

Kids Definition

rampant

adjective

ram·​pant ˈram-pənt 

 also  -ˌpant

1

: standing on the hind legs like a horse rearing

2

: not checked in growth or spread

rumor ran rampant

rampantly adverb