rambunctious
adjective
Did you know?
Rambunctious first appeared in print in the early half of the 19th century, at a time when the fast-growing United States was forging its identity and indulging in a fashion for colorful new coinages suggestive of the young nation's optimism and exuberance. Rip-roaring, scalawag, scrumptious, hornswoggle, and skedaddle are other examples of the lively language of that era. Did Americans alter the largely British rumbustious because it sounded, well, British? That could be. Rumbustious, which first appeared in Britain in the late 1700s just after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, was probably based on robustious, a much older adjective meaning both "robust" and "boisterous."
Examples of rambunctious in a Sentence
Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 20 June 2025
His presence is noted even when being quiet, like the rambunctious ram who is always ready to pounce on enemies, due to his 7-inch stature and ability to pose in different ways due to his joint structure.
—Lisa Stardust, People.com, 18 June 2025
As is the case on many river cruises, the vibes are quiet early in the trip and grow increasingly rambunctious as the week progresses.
—Sherri Eisenberg, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2025
And the mess wasn’t just localized to the trash can—there were husks everywhere, like rose petals tossed by a rambunctious 4-year-old flower girl thrilled to be at her first wedding.
—Josh Miller, Southern Living, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for rambunctious
Cite this Entry
“Rambunctious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rambunctious. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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rambunctious
adjective
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