rambunctious
adjective
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Rambunctious Has (Possible) British Origins
Rambunctious first appeared in print in the early half of the 19th century, at a time when the fast-growing United States was forging its identity and indulging in a fashion for colorful new coinages suggestive of the young nation's optimism and exuberance. Rip-roaring, scalawag, scrumptious, hornswoggle, and skedaddle are other examples of the lively language of that era. Did Americans alter the largely British rumbustious because it sounded, well, British? That could be. Rumbustious, which first appeared in Britain in the late 1700s just after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was probably based on robustious, a much older adjective that meant both "robust" and "boisterous."
Examples of rambunctious in a Sentence
Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 15 Mar. 2025
Linus O’Brien gives that chapter of the story a respectful 20 minutes, with lots of rambunctious footage and a sweet acknowledgment of Sal Piro, one of the earliest and most influential superfans, who died in 2023.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025
Having fallen in love with gymnastics as a rambunctious child, Chiles, who helped Team USA win a gold medal in Paris over the summer, began working with one coach in particular early on in her career.
—Alex Ross, People.com, 26 Feb. 2025
In fact, the first scene is set in a French-immersion language school full of rambunctious children, including one dressed up as Groucho Marx (cigar included) and one, named Omid (Sobhan Javadi), who insists that a turkey stole his glasses.
—Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rambunctious
Cite this Entry
“Rambunctious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rambunctious. Accessed 29 Mar. 2025.
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rambunctious
adjective
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