rampant

adjective ram·pant \ ˈram-pənt also -ˌpant \

Updated on: 10 Apr 2018

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

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rampantly

adverb

See rampant defined for English-language learners

See rampant defined for kids

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 of rampant from the Web

This deceptive and disingenuous nonsense is rampant in the marketing materials aimed at gullible and desperate consumers.

— barry ritholtz, chicagotribune.com, "A millionaire mindset never made anyone rich," 6 Apr. 2018
In the last three, four years, the atrocities have been rampant.

— huizhong wu, CNN, "India's Supreme Court to hear appeal on ruling that sparked Dalit protests," 3 Apr. 2018
But in countries where informal labor is rampant, authorities wrestle with a gut-wrenching decision: whether or not to cover aging citizens who didn’t contribute enough to social security.

— paul kiernan, WSJ, "These Developing Countries Are Getting Old Before They Get Rich, With Dire Consequences," 1 Apr. 2018
At a critical time when gun violence is rampant, Chris Riser is teaching the kids that their greatest weapon is their voice.

— jim ryan, OregonLive.com, "Portland middle school teacher put on leave for involvement in student walkout," 25 Mar. 2018
In cities such as St. Louis, Baltimore, and Detroit, where gun violence is rampant, residents have no access to the bigger picture that might show why so many weapons have flowed into their cities.

— annie linskey, BostonGlobe.com, "NRA has long history of suppressing data on gun violence," 25 Mar. 2018
According to a Pew Research Center poll, online harassment is rampant, with 41% of U.S. adults saying they have been targeted.

— mahita gajanan, Time, "Melania Trump Is 'Well Aware' of the Criticism Over Her Anti-Cyberbullying Campaign," 22 Mar. 2018
With the country split between two rival governments, no authority is able to stop the rampant human rights abuses.

— david brennan, Newsweek, "Humans For Sale: Libyan Slave Trade Continues While Militants Kill and Torture With Impunity, U.N. Says," 21 Mar. 2018
Here is the rampant familial physical abuse, frightening street harassment, abductions and human trafficking that can potentially infiltrate the life of an undervalued girl in either India or America.

— anita felicelli, San Francisco Chronicle, "‘Girls Burn Brighter,’ by Shobha Rao," 21 Mar. 2018

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

Illustration of rampant

Origin and Etymology of rampant

Middle English, from Anglo-French, present participle of ramper

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First Known Use: 14th century

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rampant Synonyms

RAMPANT Defined for English Language Learners

rampant

adjective

—used to describe something that is very common or that is spreading very quickly and in a way that is difficult to control
: growing quickly and in a way that is difficult to control