rambling
adjective
ram·bling
ˈram-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
: proceeding without a specific goal, purpose, or direction: such as
a
: wandering about from one place to another
a rambling walk
b
: straying from subject to subject
a rambling essay/discussion/discourse
a rambling talker
His text is at times repetitious and rambling.—
Robert Howard
Robert Howard
c
: stretching, spreading, or growing in a winding or irregular way
a rambling stream
rambling roses
2
: large and informally designed
a rambling farmhouse
… blue-tinged shots give the sinister prison … the air of a rambling edifice out of Dickens.—Celia Wren
Celia Wren
ramblingly
adverb
a ramblingly told story
Examples of rambling in a Sentence
I listened patiently to Mrs. Parsifal's rambling reminiscences, though I had no idea who "Dorothy" and "the stepson" were
the new minister gives rambling sermons that, if they have a point, are lost on the congregation, which invariably falls asleep
Recent Examples on the Web
Day trips to Amalfi-style Taormina are well-advised for those who have yet to gawp at its clifftop panoramas across the Mediterranean or its film star hotels, as are jaunts to the rambling flea markets and splendidly scruffy trattorias of nearby Catania.
—Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
The throwdown came after Trump mocked Newsom in a rambling speech at the Kennedy Center by the incumbant to Republican lawmakers.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
In his rambling, hour-long online announcement, Oltmann railed against mail-in ballots, taxes, tolls, gun laws, and medical companies concealing a cure for cancer.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
Episodes are long, rambling, and shapeless.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
On a recent afternoon at the facility, a training exercise was taking place inside a small room filled with the noise of tools and rambling motors.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
This one makes for rambling, wise company.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
In an impassioned, sometimes rambling speech, Simmons stressed the importance of passing this bill by noting that some of the biggest artists of all time — who often sang other peoples’ work — never got paid for the copious radio airplay of their music.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2025
The rambling album is at once playful and cutting, as Snider's songs address addiction, mortality, and the importance of finding happiness in daily life.
—Audrey Gibbs, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Rosalyn Wikeley, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Jan. 2026
The throwdown came after Trump mocked Newsom in a rambling speech at the Kennedy Center by the incumbant to Republican lawmakers.
—Dominic Patten, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
In his rambling, hour-long online announcement, Oltmann railed against mail-in ballots, taxes, tolls, gun laws, and medical companies concealing a cure for cancer.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
Episodes are long, rambling, and shapeless.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
On a recent afternoon at the facility, a training exercise was taking place inside a small room filled with the noise of tools and rambling motors.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
This one makes for rambling, wise company.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
In an impassioned, sometimes rambling speech, Simmons stressed the importance of passing this bill by noting that some of the biggest artists of all time — who often sang other peoples’ work — never got paid for the copious radio airplay of their music.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2025
The rambling album is at once playful and cutting, as Snider's songs address addiction, mortality, and the importance of finding happiness in daily life.
—Audrey Gibbs, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rambling. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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