Illustration of rampant
- a lion rampant
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
Synonyms
Example Sentences
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
And the Federal Communication Commission’s Lifeline program subsidizing the cost of smartphones and Internet service for low-income Americans has had rampant fraud.
—
Byrichard Eisenberg, Fortune Well, 2 June 2023
But Meg’s indie cred did not make her immune to the casual misogyny and rampant objectification lobbed at her more polished peers.
—Melissa Giannini, ELLE, 1 June 2023
The other consortium, led by Rogers, also found signs of rampant hybridization in the DNA of 225 wild baboons from multiple species, which conservation biologist Julius Keyyu at the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute helped obtain and analyze.
—Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 1 June 2023
One loss from premature elimination, the Celtics faced rampant questions about their resolve, mental fortitude, and attitude.
—Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2023
Live sports streaming service DAZN and social analytics firm Videocites have forged a partnership to fight rampant sports content piracy in the social media sphere.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 24 May 2023
The racial reckoning that followed the killing of George Floyd also highlighted rampant racial discrimination in the industry.
—Ava Sasani, New York Times, 16 May 2023
The United States continues to face rampant gun violence, with more that 170 mass shootings recorded so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
—Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2023
In sum, the bills embody yet another state government with a Democratic trifecta genuinely responding to concerns surrounding rampant gun violence.
—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 25 Apr. 2023
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Byrichard Eisenberg, Fortune Well, 2 June 2023
But Meg’s indie cred did not make her immune to the casual misogyny and rampant objectification lobbed at her more polished peers.
—Melissa Giannini, ELLE, 1 June 2023
The other consortium, led by Rogers, also found signs of rampant hybridization in the DNA of 225 wild baboons from multiple species, which conservation biologist Julius Keyyu at the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute helped obtain and analyze.
—Byelizabeth Pennisi, science.org, 1 June 2023
One loss from premature elimination, the Celtics faced rampant questions about their resolve, mental fortitude, and attitude.
—Christopher L. Gasper, BostonGlobe.com, 24 May 2023
Live sports streaming service DAZN and social analytics firm Videocites have forged a partnership to fight rampant sports content piracy in the social media sphere.
—Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 24 May 2023
The racial reckoning that followed the killing of George Floyd also highlighted rampant racial discrimination in the industry.
—Ava Sasani, New York Times, 16 May 2023
The United States continues to face rampant gun violence, with more that 170 mass shootings recorded so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
—Kelsey Ables, Washington Post, 26 Apr. 2023
In sum, the bills embody yet another state government with a Democratic trifecta genuinely responding to concerns surrounding rampant gun violence.
—Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 25 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rampant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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 1
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Time Traveler
The first known use of rampant was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing rampant
Dictionary Entries Near rampant
Cite this Entry
“Rampant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rampant. Accessed 7 Jun. 2023.
Copy Citation
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
More from Merriam-Webster on rampant
Nglish: Translation of rampant for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of rampant for Arabic Speakers
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