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 gap in information has left a void, being filled with rampant speculation, including outlandish conspiracy theories. —Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024

Worse, outsourcing has become rampant, with high-paying IT jobs migrating to countries like India and Eastern Europe. —Joel Shulman, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

Breed was tasked with getting the city through the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with a surge of drug overdose deaths, rampant homelessness, untreated mental illness, the racial justice protests of 2020, a rise in retail theft, and the collapse of the downtown area’s economy. —Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 13 Dec. 2024

Li Tie, 47, who played for the English Premier League Everton alongside Wayne Rooney in the early 2000s, is the biggest name to fall foul of a sweeping crackdown on rampant graft in China’s professional soccer league. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 13 Dec. 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