1
as in wandering
passing from one topic to another
I listened patiently to Mrs. Parsifal's rambling reminiscences, though I had no idea who "Dorothy" and "the stepson" were
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in talkative
using or containing more words than necessary to express an idea
the new minister gives rambling sermons that, if they have a point, are lost on the congregation, which invariably falls asleep
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in rattling
to talk at length without sticking to a topic or getting to a point
the teenagers sat around the pizza parlor, rambling on about dating, homework, movies, and the local football team
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in roaming
to move about from place to place aimlessly
by tirelessly rambling around San Francisco for a week we probably saw more of it than many residents ever have
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in strolling
to travel by foot for exercise or pleasure
we're planning to ramble all over the highland moors when we're in Dartmoor
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in prolixity
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Recent Examples of rambling
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
In the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey called 911 to report her 6-year-old daughter JonBenét missing, and found a rambling ransom note left inside their Boulder, Colorado, home.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
His statement came a day after the release of the Netflix series, which takes viewers back to the morning after Christmas 28 years ago, when JonBenét’s mother called 911 to report finding a rambling ransom note and her daughter missing.
—Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 3 Dec. 2024
There is more than 178 feet of beach and ocean frontage, which can be accessed via a rambling wooden staircase.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Some, of course, will find this style of writing off-putting and too rambling or the prose verging on purple, the narrative perhaps not story-driven enough.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Trump, who has faced ridicule from Democrats and other critics for his rambling rallies, accused Micklethwait of jumping back and forth between topics.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024
The Harris campaign, her allies, and Trump’s enemies have sought to capitalize on the age concerns by incessantly highlighting Trump’s rambling and bizarre tangents in his speeches, factual errors and nonsensical answers to questions from reporters and voters.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The big picture: Trump took Harris' bait throughout the evening, often making rambling statements or unleashing personal attacks that are unlikely to appeal to moderate voters.
—Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 11 Sep. 2024
Verb
Refine your key points to be clear and concise—no rambling monologues.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
In the early morning hours of Dec. 26, 1996, Patsy Ramsey called 911 to report her 6-year-old daughter JonBenét missing, and found a rambling ransom note left inside their Boulder, Colorado, home.
—Erin Moriarty, CBS News, 20 Dec. 2024
His statement came a day after the release of the Netflix series, which takes viewers back to the morning after Christmas 28 years ago, when JonBenét’s mother called 911 to report finding a rambling ransom note and her daughter missing.
—Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, 3 Dec. 2024
There is more than 178 feet of beach and ocean frontage, which can be accessed via a rambling wooden staircase.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Some, of course, will find this style of writing off-putting and too rambling or the prose verging on purple, the narrative perhaps not story-driven enough.
—Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Trump, who has faced ridicule from Democrats and other critics for his rambling rallies, accused Micklethwait of jumping back and forth between topics.
—Paul Wiseman, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2024
The Harris campaign, her allies, and Trump’s enemies have sought to capitalize on the age concerns by incessantly highlighting Trump’s rambling and bizarre tangents in his speeches, factual errors and nonsensical answers to questions from reporters and voters.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes, 16 Oct. 2024
The big picture: Trump took Harris' bait throughout the evening, often making rambling statements or unleashing personal attacks that are unlikely to appeal to moderate voters.
—Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 11 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rambling
Adjective
-
In today’s opinions newsletter: Keeping the A/C on, the Cardinals’ playoff prospects and lessons from a wandering wolf.—
Joanna Allhands,
AZCentral.com,
11 Aug. 2025
-
However, Loeb and his colleagues have continued to advocate its potential alien origin and have proposed missions to track down the wandering space rock.—
Harry Baker,
Space.com,
29 July 2025
Adjective
-
The way the car flows down twisty roads is simply serene due to its talkative and responsive electrohydraulic steering, wonderful chassis communication, minimal body roll, and excellent grip.—
Peter Nelson,
ArsTechnica,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Since October, Jackson spoke 50% more words on the bench than Sotomayor who was the next talkative, according to statistics compiled by Adam Feldman and Jake S. Truscott for the Empirical SCOTUS blog.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
6 July 2025
Verb
-
According to Smithsonian, the institute’s idyllic backdrop, with open fields where patients could imagine animals roaming free, helped convince the doctor's dozens of patients that her practices were legit.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
5 Jan. 2025
-
Between 2001 and 2004, there were so many shootings in Vancouver-area clubs that gang police started roaming through bars, throwing out anyone who looked like a drug dealer.—
Jesse Hyde,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Steve Carell stars as the would-be villain with a heart of gold, Gru, leader of the babbling Minions.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
-
Trump, too, has inexplicable lapses of babbling and has fallen asleep at inauspicious moments.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
29 May 2025
Adjective
-
According to the story, the tow truck driver’s removal of an ICE SUV was just a routine removal and the story of a bunch of ICE vans being stalked by tow trucks was exaggerated.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
In the photoshoot, Kelce presents a stereotypical (and exaggerated) embodiment of masculinity — he is dressed in full fur, construction vests and wrangles alligators.—
Alyssa Goldberg,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Google’s new Pixel 10 ad, that takes an indirect shot at Apple’s Siri problems, gives us an insight into how the upcoming smartphone battle will unfold.—
Janhoi McGregor,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
First, the American government was central to the course of revolution, although in indirect ways.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For example, the AI maker might tell the AI to always respond succinctly and not be overly wordy.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Davis is a magnetic front man, and the Roadhouse Band is an intoxicatingly raucous live outfit, but the constraints of the setup suited his new material, which is suffused with listlessness and yearning, dark jokes and wordy disquisitions on desire.—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
But Sieh is the standout, emitting a complex blend of sardonic acceptance, cynical verbosity and submerged emotional longing.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
-
Coogler can let his characters’ verbosity get the better of story momentum.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rambling. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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