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

Of course, there has also been rampant speculation that Styles could be the latest marquee WWE star to jump ship to AEW. —Blake Oestriecher, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

Obviously the rampant physical comedy benefits from a lot of special effects and stunts. —Chris Willman, Variety, 19 Apr. 2025

The Fed hiked rates during President Joe Biden’s term in order to tamp down the rampant inflation induced by the coronavirus pandemic and started dialing them back in 2024. —Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 17 Apr. 2025

The family shut down the business, moved again and eventually sent Abrego Garcia to the U.S. The family never went to authorities because of rampant police corruption, according to court filings. —Time, 11 Apr. 2025

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