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
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
Breeding a climate of 'rumor and turmoil' Historians say papal gambling dates back at least to the 1400s and was rampant in 16th-century Rome.
—
Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 4 May 2025
Everything was from outside our borders, crime is rampant, our economy is gone to help in a hand basket, and there was no growth whatsoever.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025
Attacks on gender-affirming-care have been much more rampant in recent years, as 26 states have passed laws limiting access to such care for trans and nonbinary people, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 1 May 2025
While speculation about a potential Desperate Housewives follow-up — revival, reboot, sequel, spinoff or other offshoot — has been rampant for more than a decade, this marks the first real stab at expanding the franchise.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rampant
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Marc Ramirez, USA Today, 4 May 2025
Everything was from outside our borders, crime is rampant, our economy is gone to help in a hand basket, and there was no growth whatsoever.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025
Attacks on gender-affirming-care have been much more rampant in recent years, as 26 states have passed laws limiting access to such care for trans and nonbinary people, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 1 May 2025
While speculation about a potential Desperate Housewives follow-up — revival, reboot, sequel, spinoff or other offshoot — has been rampant for more than a decade, this marks the first real stab at expanding the franchise.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 29 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for rampant
Cite this Entry
“Rampant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rampant. Accessed 11 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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