rambled; rambling
ˈram-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
a
: to move aimlessly from place to place
rambled through the little town
b
: to explore idly
After one rambles through the maps for a time … some overall impressions begin to emerge.—
John Noble Wilford
John Noble Wilford2
a
: to talk or write in an aimless, erratic, and often long-winded fashion
The hunk starts to ramble on and on, and the women seem quite annoyed.—Monk Magazine
Monk Magazine
b
: to be related or written in a long-winded or wandering fashion
a story that rambles
3
: to grow or extend irregularly
To me, pea greens are the culinary equivalent of morning glories, sprouting overnight, rambling here and there, turning the grower into a shepherd, at least for the duration.—Molly O'Neill
Molly O'Neill
: to wander over : roam
1
: a leisurely excursion for pleasure
especially
: an aimless walk
2
: a rambling story or discussion
Synonyms
Examples of ramble in a Sentence
Verb
She rambled for several minutes before introducing the main speaker.
He's funny, but he tends to ramble.
Noun
We went for a ramble along the beach.
He encountered many interesting people in his rambles in the country.
The first chapter is a 100-page ramble.
We had to listen to another one of his long rambles about politics and religion.
Recent Examples on the WebLovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
West’s acceptance was heartfelt but rambling, suggesting his issues with awards shows were far from settled.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2024
An integral part of the Allman’s swampy, rambling Southern rock sound, Betts joined brothers Gregg and Duane Allman in 1969 in the group the siblings formed after splitting up their earlier band, the Allman Joys.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2024
Kaczynski had taunted officials with a rambling manifesto and was captured following one of the longest FBI manhunts in history.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
Stephen Colbert had a field day mocking Donald Trump's weekend rally in Pennsylvania, where the latter appeared to ramble gibberish and stumble over words during a speech in Schnecksville.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
But for the full 360 bean-to-brew, ramble the lower slopes of Agua Volcano for an immersive introduction to Guatemalan coffee with the González family who tend 30,000 arabica coffee plants followed by a grinding class and tasting at their home.
—Claire Boobbyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024
The country seat of the aristocratic Miranda-Quirós family, a rambling rural property in the hamlet of Llanuces, was rescued from ruin by Madrid entrepreneur Carlos Díaz.
—Paul Richardson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
In his rambling article, Ambrose builds upon his faulty conclusions and spouts off his various unrelated political judgments and false equivalencies.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Laura Beausire, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2023
There are miles of urban treks, ranging from multi-day hiking trails like the 62-mile Great Coastal Walk that links the city’s southern and northern edges, to informal neighborhood rambles.
—Callie Radke Stevens, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2023
Though they were not spotted during the royal ramble to Craithe Kirk on Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of York’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie reportedly arrived at Balmoral for the royal family’s annual retreat last week.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 28 Aug. 2023
Walks Around the World Find inspiration for both urban rambles and long-distance pilgrimages.
—Russell Shorto, New York Times, 19 June 2023
Diane Bair For a really special ramble, wander the Morris Island Trails of 7,604-acre Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/refuge/monomoy).
—Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 11 May 2023
Her uncle said Ghost did this all the time — disappeared for a ramble out on the tundra for a week or two.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Apr. 2023
The ramble culminated with an unexpected reveal for fans of the franchise.
—Anousha Sakoui, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2023
Jamie Lorriman/Pool Photo via AP Prince William has poured a pint of ale and taken a ride on the subway with his wife Kate as part of a royal ramble in central London before King Charles III’s coronation.
—Sylvia Hui, Fortune, 4 May 2023
Verb
As the older woman attacks a clogged sink with a plunger, Mary Jane rambles.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Apr. 2024
West’s acceptance was heartfelt but rambling, suggesting his issues with awards shows were far from settled.
—Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2024
An integral part of the Allman’s swampy, rambling Southern rock sound, Betts joined brothers Gregg and Duane Allman in 1969 in the group the siblings formed after splitting up their earlier band, the Allman Joys.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 18 Apr. 2024
Kaczynski had taunted officials with a rambling manifesto and was captured following one of the longest FBI manhunts in history.
—Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 17 Apr. 2024
Stephen Colbert had a field day mocking Donald Trump's weekend rally in Pennsylvania, where the latter appeared to ramble gibberish and stumble over words during a speech in Schnecksville.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
But for the full 360 bean-to-brew, ramble the lower slopes of Agua Volcano for an immersive introduction to Guatemalan coffee with the González family who tend 30,000 arabica coffee plants followed by a grinding class and tasting at their home.
—Claire Boobbyer, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Apr. 2024
The country seat of the aristocratic Miranda-Quirós family, a rambling rural property in the hamlet of Llanuces, was rescued from ruin by Madrid entrepreneur Carlos Díaz.
—Paul Richardson, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
In his rambling article, Ambrose builds upon his faulty conclusions and spouts off his various unrelated political judgments and false equivalencies.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Noun
Nowadays, the trail offers a glorious roller-coaster ramble.
—Laura Beausire, Travel + Leisure, 6 Nov. 2023
There are miles of urban treks, ranging from multi-day hiking trails like the 62-mile Great Coastal Walk that links the city’s southern and northern edges, to informal neighborhood rambles.
—Callie Radke Stevens, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Oct. 2023
Though they were not spotted during the royal ramble to Craithe Kirk on Sunday, the Duke and Duchess of York’s daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie reportedly arrived at Balmoral for the royal family’s annual retreat last week.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 28 Aug. 2023
Walks Around the World Find inspiration for both urban rambles and long-distance pilgrimages.
—Russell Shorto, New York Times, 19 June 2023
Diane Bair For a really special ramble, wander the Morris Island Trails of 7,604-acre Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov/refuge/monomoy).
—Pamela Wright, BostonGlobe.com, 11 May 2023
Her uncle said Ghost did this all the time — disappeared for a ramble out on the tundra for a week or two.
—Zachariah Hughes, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Apr. 2023
The ramble culminated with an unexpected reveal for fans of the franchise.
—Anousha Sakoui, Los Angeles Times, 28 Apr. 2023
Jamie Lorriman/Pool Photo via AP Prince William has poured a pint of ale and taken a ride on the subway with his wife Kate as part of a royal ramble in central London before King Charles III’s coronation.
—Sylvia Hui, Fortune, 4 May 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ramble.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ramble
Cite this Entry
“Ramble.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ramble. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ramble
2 of 2 noun1
: a long stroll with no particular destination
2
: a rambling story or discussion
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share