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

• 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

The warm soil and decreasing temperatures help seeds germinate quickly, and pests and weeds aren’t as rampant as during the summer. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 7 Aug. 2025

If there is rampant concern about the legitimacy of the results, Paul and his team are right—boxing and sports will be dealt a serious blow. —Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025

Kern de Gonzales, however, describes an atmosphere of rampant harassment of all kinds, including frequent homophobia. —Ethan Bauer, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2025

The series of events has led to rampant hunger in Gaza. —Juliana Kim, NPR, 29 July 2025

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