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

Obviously, family dynamics run pretty rampant in the stories. —Zac Ntim, Deadline, 2 Dec. 2024

Phishing—defined as fraudulent activities that attempt to obtain sensitive information through trickery via emails or websites—is a rampant threat during the holiday season. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024

The central bank has already raised interest rates to 21%, but this has so far failed to tame rampant price increases, with the inflation rate at 8.5% in October, while the price of basic foods, such as butter and potatoes, has soared over the past year. —Holly Ellyatt, CNBC, 28 Nov. 2024

The strike helped scale back the rampant use of solitary confinement. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 26 Nov. 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