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

Pol learns the ropes alongside fellow stripper Noel (Daniel Fernando) and savvy prostitute Bambi (Jaclyn Jose), discovering an underbelly of protection rackets, human trafficking and rampant political corruption. —Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 1 June 2026

The rumors were so rampant that Mark Duplass, an experienced filmmaker and one of the movie’s stars, weighed in to shut down skeptics. —Lauren Wilson, NBC news, 31 May 2026

The United States Geological Survey has confirmed that the mysterious noise heard across Massachusetts Saturday afternoon, prompting rampant curiosity, was a sonic boom from a meteor. —Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald, 30 May 2026

In it, a Native Hawaiian family struggles to reclaim the ancestral lands that colonization, tourism, and rampant development threaten to overrun. —Gabrielle Bellot, Literary Hub, 29 May 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