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
Also in the village, with lower prices, the June Lake Villager Motel is a rambling property beneath a vintage mid-century sign.
—Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Her editor figured that Bainbridge could get away with a rambling, nostalgic performance.
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Buffalo owner Terry Pegula made the Bills’ situation much, much worse with his rambling, bumbling, sometimes contradictory media session, taking wide receiver Keon Coleman to task publicly.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
There's a ski lift a few minutes' walk from the hotel and a raft of rambling trails.
—Grainne McBride, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Trump said in a rambling address.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
Asian Journey finds a fine balance between juicy yet good-natured conflict between participants and an amiable rambling quality that gives the travelog structure a bit of unpredictability.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Jan. 2026
Instead, DeSantis unleashed a rambling recap of the past seven years, with plenty of unsourced statistics, claims of victory that aren’t supported by reality, and wording often designed to obfuscate the most controversial parts of his tenure.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026
Her editor figured that Bainbridge could get away with a rambling, nostalgic performance.
—Christopher Tayler, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Buffalo owner Terry Pegula made the Bills’ situation much, much worse with his rambling, bumbling, sometimes contradictory media session, taking wide receiver Keon Coleman to task publicly.
—Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026
There's a ski lift a few minutes' walk from the hotel and a raft of rambling trails.
—Grainne McBride, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026
Trump said in a rambling address.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 20 Jan. 2026
Asian Journey finds a fine balance between juicy yet good-natured conflict between participants and an amiable rambling quality that gives the travelog structure a bit of unpredictability.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Jan. 2026
Instead, DeSantis unleashed a rambling recap of the past seven years, with plenty of unsourced statistics, claims of victory that aren’t supported by reality, and wording often designed to obfuscate the most controversial parts of his tenure.
—Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 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
Cite this Entry
“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rambling. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
