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

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

ramblingly adverb

a ramblingly told story

Synonyms of rambling

• wandering
• excursive
• indirect

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

Even her supporters glance askance at one another during her rambling entreaties. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026

The chaotic hearing was marked by Castro-Arroyo rambling and frequently interrupting Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Ellen Sue Venzer as an interpreter translated the proceeding. — Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

On the latest episode of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart took aim at Donald Trump‘s rambling speech during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 28 July 2026

But the documentary, to a fault, mirrors the Deadheads’ rambling aura and general absence of structure. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1609, in the meaning defined at sense 1