rampage

1 of 2

verb

ram·​page ˈram-ˌpāj 

(ˌ)ram-ˈpāj

rampaged; rampaging

intransitive verb

: to rush wildly about

rampage

2 of 2

noun

ram·​page ˈram-ˌpāj 

: a course of violent, riotous, or reckless action or behavior

rampageous

ram-ˈpā-jəs 

adjective

rampageously adverb

rampageousness noun

Synonyms

Noun

• agitation
• deliriousness
• delirium
• distraction
• fever
• feverishness
• flap
• frenzy
• furor
• furore
• fury
• hysteria
• rage
• uproar

Examples of rampage in a Sentence

Verb

Rioters rampaged through the streets of the city.

Noun

some crazy guy went on a rampage in the public library and started grabbing books off the shelves and tossing them around

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Using wet-behind-the-ears civilian young men to rampage through secure files and haul off personal confidential data is not good practice. —Letters To The Editor, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2025

The best way for humans to survive has been to seal themselves off as best as possible from the rampaging hordes. —Noel Murray, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2025

Noun

By The New York Times In the chaos, thousands of other gunmen arrived with a different agenda — targeting Alawites in a rampage of sectarian killings. —Christina Goldbaum, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025

How sheriff deputy’s son carried out deadly rampage 3. —FOXNews.com, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

originally Scots, probably an extension of ramp "to rage, storm about" (going back to early Scots and Middle English, "to rear up on the hind legs"), with a termination of uncertain origin — more at ramp entry 4

Note: The Scottish National Dictionary regards rampage as a blend of ramp "to rage, storm about" and rage (see rage entry 2); the Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue, on the other hand, hypothesizes "perhaps ramp [the verb] + -age [the suffix -age]. As the Oxford English Dictionary, third edition, points out, the original place of stress (and concomitantly the pronunciation) are unknown.

Noun

noun derivative of rampage entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1692, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1861, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rampage

• assuage
• backstage
• bocage
• downstage
• engage
• enrage
• leafage
• messuage
• offstage
• onstage
• outrage
• pelage

Kids Definition

rampage

1 of 2 verb

ram·​page ˈram-ˌpāj 

(ˈ)ram-ˈpāj

rampaged; rampaging

: to rush wildly about

rampage

2 of 2 noun

ram·​page ˈram-ˌpāj 

: a course of violent or reckless action or behavior

rampageous

ram-ˈpā-jəs 

adjective

rampageously adverb