ramble

verb

ram·ble | \ ˈram-bəl

rambled; rambling\ ˈram-b(ə-)liŋ

Definition of ramble

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1a : 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

2a : 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

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

transitive verb

: to wander over : roam

ramble

noun

Definition of ramble (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : a leisurely excursion for pleasure especially : an aimless walk

2 : a rambling story or discussion

Other Words from ramble Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about ramble

Keep scrolling for more

Choose the Right Synonym for ramble

Verb

wander, roam, ramble, rove, traipse, meander mean to go about from place to place usually without a plan or definite purpose. wander implies an absence of or an indifference to a fixed course. fond of wandering about the square just watching the people roam suggests wandering about freely and often far afield. liked to roam through the woods ramble stresses carelessness and indifference to one's course or objective. the speaker rambled on without ever coming to the point rove suggests vigorous and sometimes purposeful roaming. armed brigands roved over the countryside traipse implies a course that is erratic but may sometimes be purposeful. traipsed all over town looking for the right dress meander implies a winding or intricate course suggestive of aimless or listless wandering. the river meanders for miles through rich farmland

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 Web: Verb

Truaxe continues to post sometimes rambling and incoherent posts on his own account. — Cheryl Wischhover, Vox, "What the latest report on skin care company Deciem reveals about its troubled founder," 3 Dec. 2018 Retreat Hotel The Retreat Hotel is a rambling old pub in Brunswick that hosts free gigs every day of the week. — Carrie Hutchinson, Condé Nast Traveler, "10 Best Venues & Places for Live Music in Melbourne," 10 Sep. 2018 This blocklong dream palace named for their grandmother is a rambling all-day concept. — Craig Laban, Philly.com, "Fishtown's Suraya is one of the most exciting new dining destinations of the year," 22 June 2018 Take off isn’t a raging, rambling rush down the runway. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, "What It’s Like to Take the Longest Flight in the World," 26 Oct. 2018 In that session, everything came pouring out — streams of words and tears, rambling explanations, and — of course — apologies for the rambling. — Kayleigh Roberts, Allure, "Why Women With ADHD Like Me Get Diagnosed So Late in Adulthood," 25 Oct. 2018 The postmodern building, converted in 1988, is rambling but atmospheric. — Sophie Davies, Condé Nast Traveler, "15 Best Museums in Sydney," 23 Mar. 2018 There is a food scene, a creative community, and a historic downtown perfect for long, lazy rambles—in addition to all those other mountain thrills that have brought visitors to this region for decades. — Todd Plummer, Vogue, "Why Bay Area Residents Are Flocking to Truckee, California—And You Should Too," 11 Dec. 2018 Three steps are easy to remember and can help get your points across without rambling. — Sue Shellenbarger, WSJ, "How to Overcome Your Terror of Making an Off-the-Cuff Speech," 3 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

This downtown ramble begins in NoHo, where three strong galleries cluster on Great Jones Street. — Jason Farago, New York Times, "10 Galleries to Visit Now Around SoHo and TriBeCa," 26 Apr. 2018 If the streaming revolution is going to reduce every show to a plotless ramble through an alternate world, why not this one? — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season 2 is a dazzling confection with a slightly bitter aftertaste," 5 Dec. 2018 Fortunately, the portion of the Sea Beach line the pair chose for their ramble has been closed to train traffic for station rehabilitation. — Sarah Maslin Nir, The Seattle Times, "Not Your Average Subway Delay: Hungry Goats on the Tracks," 20 Aug. 2018 Flagstaff: Kachina Trail This high-country ramble delivers a big-mountain experience with no real climbing, bless its woodsy heart. — Roger Naylor, azcentral, "10 best hikes in Arizona show off state's diverse scenery," 13 July 2018 British Car Day Fancy a ramble through ye olde park whilst perusing the finest motor cars from dear old Blighty? — Luann Gibbs, Cincinnati.com, "Top 5 events in Cincinnati this weekend," 6 July 2018 The initial ramble of the movie, before things get dire, is brilliantly staged by Farhadi, who gently introduces a web of relationships without clunky exposition, while infusing the happy proceedings with a tantalizing hint of impending dread. — Richard Lawson, HWD, "Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem Kick Off Cannes with Gloomy Melodrama," 9 May 2018 Most conversations are rambles, crossing varied territories that lead to surprising vistas. — Mary Schmich, chicagotribune.com, "What did we talk about before we talked about Trump?," 20 Apr. 2018 After a ferry trip to Oakland, the not-yet-famous naturalist made his way on a 310-mile ramble; south to Gilroy, east through the Pacheco Pass, across the Central Valley, then into the Sierra. — Debbie Arrington, sacbee, "They followed Muir's footsteps across California, then found his words to describe it | The Sacramento Bee," 1 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ramble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.