1
as in wandering
passing from one topic to another
I listened patiently to Mrs. Parsifal's rambling reminiscences, though I had no idea who "Dorothy" and "the stepson" were
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in talkative
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea
the new minister gives rambling sermons that, if they have a point, are lost on the congregation, which invariably falls asleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in prolixity
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in rattling
to talk at length without sticking to a topic or getting to a point
the teenagers sat around the pizza parlor, rambling on about dating, homework, movies, and the local football team
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in roaming
to move about from place to place aimlessly
by tirelessly rambling around San Francisco for a week we probably saw more of it than many residents ever have
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in strolling
to travel by foot for exercise or pleasure
we're planning to ramble all over the highland moors when we're in Dartmoor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rambling
Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
His statement came a day after the release of the Netflix series, which takes viewers back to the morning after Christmas 28 years ago, when JonBenét’s mother called 911 to report finding a rambling ransom note and her daughter missing.
—Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 3 Dec. 2024
There is more than 178 feet of beach and ocean frontage, which can be accessed via a rambling wooden staircase.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Some, of course, will find this style of writing off-putting and too rambling or the prose verging on purple, the narrative perhaps not story-driven enough.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Trump, who has faced ridicule from Democrats and other critics for his rambling rallies, accused Micklethwait of jumping back and forth between topics.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024
The Harris campaign, her allies, and Trump’s enemies have sought to capitalize on the age concerns by incessantly highlighting Trump’s rambling and bizarre tangents in his speeches, factual errors and nonsensical answers to questions from reporters and voters.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The big picture: Trump took Harris' bait throughout the evening, often making rambling statements or unleashing personal attacks that are unlikely to appeal to moderate voters.
—Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 11 Sep. 2024
Harris came in trying to rattle and bait Trump, and often succeeded, leading to defensive, angry and rambling responses as the vice president had the upper hand throughout much of the contest.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
Adjective
In the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey called 911 to report her 6-year-old daughter JonBenét missing, and found a rambling ransom note left inside their Boulder, Colorado, home.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
His statement came a day after the release of the Netflix series, which takes viewers back to the morning after Christmas 28 years ago, when JonBenét’s mother called 911 to report finding a rambling ransom note and her daughter missing.
—Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 3 Dec. 2024
There is more than 178 feet of beach and ocean frontage, which can be accessed via a rambling wooden staircase.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Some, of course, will find this style of writing off-putting and too rambling or the prose verging on purple, the narrative perhaps not story-driven enough.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Trump, who has faced ridicule from Democrats and other critics for his rambling rallies, accused Micklethwait of jumping back and forth between topics.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024
The Harris campaign, her allies, and Trump’s enemies have sought to capitalize on the age concerns by incessantly highlighting Trump’s rambling and bizarre tangents in his speeches, factual errors and nonsensical answers to questions from reporters and voters.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The big picture: Trump took Harris' bait throughout the evening, often making rambling statements or unleashing personal attacks that are unlikely to appeal to moderate voters.
—Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 11 Sep. 2024
Harris came in trying to rattle and bait Trump, and often succeeded, leading to defensive, angry and rambling responses as the vice president had the upper hand throughout much of the contest.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rambling
Adjective
-
The album unfolds like the journal of a wandering young heart who rambles from town to town, from feeling to feeling, but without feeling connected anywhere.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
21 Mar. 2025
-
By simply using conversational speech, a wandering internet searcher can quickly receive answers in an easy to understand format.—
Mack DeGeurin,
Popular Science,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
As Shrek sets out with his talkative sidekick Donkey, the adventure quickly evolves from a simple quest to a journey of self-discovery, unexpected relationships and a lot of hilarity along the way.—
Jane LaCroix,
People.com,
29 Mar. 2025
-
Put two confident and talkative teen-agers on the court against each other, and the mics will catch some quips, and that’s what the viewers got with Waters & Patriquin trading winners and barbs all afternoon.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
It’s been almost a quarter-century since Renée Zellweger first stepped into the shoes of the wine-guzzling, smoking, babbling, pratfall-prone and terminally awkward title character in Bridget Jones’s Diary.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
-
Today, her daughter, Dana, is growing up like any other Swiss suburban child, in Basel now, splashing around in toddler swim classes and speaking to her mother in a babbling mix of English and Ukrainian.—
Ann Scott Tyson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
8 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
According to Smithsonian, the institute’s idyllic backdrop, with open fields where patients could imagine animals roaming free, helped convince the doctor's dozens of patients that her practices were legit.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
5 Jan. 2025
-
Who knows how regular this blues-rock gig will be for the perpetually roaming Murray, but the timing is good.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Please ignore the exaggerated political hyperbole and keep in mind her passion for helping others.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
20 Mar. 2025
-
Ten exaggerated fashion silhouettes, which bring to life the multitudes of the fibers, are displayed next to the landscapes from which they were sourced.—
Denni Hu,
WWD,
19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The White House cited national security concerns for terminating workers' ability to bargain collectively, but the order applies at agencies with both direct and indirect links to national security.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
29 Mar. 2025
-
The conditions of Conway’s bond include a ban on direct or indirect contact with witnesses, victims and co-defendants in the case.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Payton has said, both with Nix and Russell Wilson before, that the main point of the band is to shorten some of the wordiest play calls.—
Parker Gabriel,
The Denver Post,
4 Mar. 2025
-
A week after the Succession alum made a throwaway joke about a certain someone's wordy speeches, Adrien Brody broke the record for longest Oscars acceptance speech.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Still, the challenge lies in managing the explosive verbosity that modern tools enable effortlessly.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
-
Crisp articulation of ideas trumps verbosity, fostering a culture that treasures originality and respect for the reader’s time.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rambling. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.
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