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
Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Following guest appearances in Wanted: Dead or Alive, 77 Sunset Strip, Rescue 8, The Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse and Sugarfoot, among other TV series, Jay North debuted as rambunctious Dennis Mitchell in Dennis the Menace in 1959.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
The rambunctious East Hollywood rap group were key members of L.A.’s rap scene in the late 2010s.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2025
Republican senators used their majority to swat back Democratic amendments, often in rambunctious voice votes.
—Time, 5 Apr. 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 18 Apr. 2025.
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rambunctious
adjective
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