rampant

adjective

ram·​pant ˈram-pənt 

also -ˌpant

1

a

: rearing upon the hind legs with forelegs extended

b

: standing on one hind foot with one foreleg raised above the other and the head in profile

—used of a heraldic animal

2

a

: marked by a menacing wildness, extravagance, or absence of restraint

rampant rumors

b

: profusely widespread

rampant weeds

rampantly adverb

Illustration of rampant

• a lion rampant

Synonyms of rampant

• runaway
• uncontrolled
• raw

Examples of rampant in a Sentence

a weed that's rampant in this area

the mayor promised to put a stop to the rampant crime that plagued the city

Recent Examples on the Web

On the other, the now-nine-year drought without a playoff win has led to rampant frustration from the fan base. —Mike Defabo, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026

Who will stand to benefit from the rampant expenditures also remains a subject of heated debate, as corporations like Google, Meta, and OpenAI continue to race each other for dominance in the space. —Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 14 Jan. 2026

Protests erupted late last month throughout Iran due to concerns about the economy and rampant inflation, with Iranians forced to contend with huge price hikes on food and basic necessities. —Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 13 Jan. 2026

Since ChatGPT’s explosive debut in November 2022, fears of robots replacing humans at work have been rampant. —Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 13 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rampaunt, rampand, borrowed from Anglo-French rampant "crawling, rampant (in heraldry)," from present participle of ramper "to climb, rear up on the hind legs, creep" — more at ramp entry 4

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing rampant

• run rampant

Kids Definition

rampant

adjective

ram·​pant ˈram-pənt 

also -ˌpant

1

: standing on the hind legs like a horse rearing

2

: not checked in growth or spread

rumor ran rampant

rampantly adverb