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
2
as in prolixity
Related Words
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
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of rambling
Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
Mardi is a rambling story, and reviewers were not kind.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
The rambling, low-slung building, containing 200 rooms, including 36 suites, is easy to get lost in.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Stroll the Riverwalk to the skylit Old Wilmington City Market and the rambling Cotton Exchange, a shopping and dining complex spread over several historic buildings.
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026
Trump lashed out at them and Tucker in a long, rambling social media post earlier this month.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
This dainty mix makes for a rambling container that's easy to enjoy.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
The North Carolina folk-rock band’s quiet and rambling third album exists in a cloud of dreamy contemplation.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump’s speech was at times entertaining, rambling, repetitive, and combative.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
This rambling 1,200-acre Southern California ranch has both and much more, plus a supremely private and scenic locale on the outskirts of the historic community of San Juan Capistrano.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2026
In addition to the lake, there are 26 miles of trails for rambling at Hot Springs National Park as well as a number of hiking paths leading into and out of downtown.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
That’s when Amendola’s face, combined with some unhinged rambling, got the message across that something big just happened.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
What on Earth was Gabriel rambling on about before, anyway?
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
Roger Naylor shares 10 favorite Arizona destinations from his 50 years of rambling here.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
As Minneapolis reels from the shooting, officials are combing through Westman’s rambling writings – which the shooter shared in YouTube videos timed to go online around the same time as the attack – to search for a motive.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Trump has long bragged about his cognitive ability, repeatedly offering to take a cognitive exam alongside Biden during the 2024 campaign, and has claimed his rambling is a purposeful speaking style.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Adjective
Despite this rambling semi-introduction, Newman’s film makes quick work of all of this, recognizing that getting to the Tova-and-Cameron show (with, of course, many guest appearances by Marcellus) is the entire point of the picture.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 7 May 2026
Mardi is a rambling story, and reviewers were not kind.
—Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
The rambling, low-slung building, containing 200 rooms, including 36 suites, is easy to get lost in.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Stroll the Riverwalk to the skylit Old Wilmington City Market and the rambling Cotton Exchange, a shopping and dining complex spread over several historic buildings.
—Anne Olivia Bauso, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026
Trump lashed out at them and Tucker in a long, rambling social media post earlier this month.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 21 Apr. 2026
This dainty mix makes for a rambling container that's easy to enjoy.
—Steve Bender, Southern Living, 17 Apr. 2026
The North Carolina folk-rock band’s quiet and rambling third album exists in a cloud of dreamy contemplation.
—Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2026
Trump’s speech was at times entertaining, rambling, repetitive, and combative.
—Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Verb
Throughout the latter two videos, Ivey spoke to the camera while driving his car and rambling through various evangelical talking points.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
This rambling 1,200-acre Southern California ranch has both and much more, plus a supremely private and scenic locale on the outskirts of the historic community of San Juan Capistrano.
—Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 10 Mar. 2026
In addition to the lake, there are 26 miles of trails for rambling at Hot Springs National Park as well as a number of hiking paths leading into and out of downtown.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2026
That’s when Amendola’s face, combined with some unhinged rambling, got the message across that something big just happened.
—Jeff Howe, New York Times, 7 Feb. 2026
What on Earth was Gabriel rambling on about before, anyway?
—Jessica Wang, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Sep. 2025
Roger Naylor shares 10 favorite Arizona destinations from his 50 years of rambling here.
—Roger Naylor, AZCentral.com, 29 Aug. 2025
As Minneapolis reels from the shooting, officials are combing through Westman’s rambling writings – which the shooter shared in YouTube videos timed to go online around the same time as the attack – to search for a motive.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Trump has long bragged about his cognitive ability, repeatedly offering to take a cognitive exam alongside Biden during the 2024 campaign, and has claimed his rambling is a purposeful speaking style.
—Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rambling
Adjective
-
Like Fox Lake mom Priscilla Marshall, 34, whose 11-year-old son was found wandering village streets last month, bloody and beaten, authorities said.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The adventurous rapper and producer take a more refined approach on a collaborative album full of wandering thoughts and odd, understated beats.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
His mom describes him as talkative.—
Pioneer Press,
Twin Cities,
1 May 2026
-
Donovan is talkative, bubbly and outgoing, while Juan is more of a listener.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Eichenberger recently converted one of the ponds into a small babbling brook to maintain a steady flow of water.—
Lennie Omalza,
Louisville Courier Journal,
19 Feb. 2026
-
The internet has spoken—the babbling of Minions will be heard at the 2026 Winter Olympics.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
London — Two Jewish men were stabbed in broad daylight in a leafy suburb of north London on Wednesday in what police described as a terrorist incident, further rattling a Jewish community already reeling from a series of antisemitic attacks in the British capital.—
Jomana Karadsheh,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
-
That includes the stories behind the backboard-rattling dunks and blocks on the basketball court.—
Tracy Kimball,
Charlotte Observer,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Celebrate by roaming the stacks after dark at this festival.—
Deputy Managing Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Fish and wildlife officials advise people to remove bird feeders until the turkeys leave the area and install sprinklers if the wild fowl keep roaming into yards.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Spend the next few hours strolling around the Davidson College campus, shopping for a new read at Main Street Books or a charming memento at Honeysuckle Home, and having a leisurely lunch at The Pickled Peach.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
-
They were seen hugging at the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico in October 2023, strolling ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Las Vegas in November 2024 and holding hands at the Grand Prix of Miami in 2025.—
Skyler Caruso,
PEOPLE,
29 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Others, pointing to the younger age profile of some Gaeltacht communities and the modest growth of urban Irish-speaking households, call predictions of the imminent demise of the language greatly exaggerated.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 May 2026
-
That moment, however, didn’t come without criticism, and Seymour still remembers the sharp commentary that came as a result of the exaggerated hairstyle.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
The film almost completely drops any and all scientific babble from the book in favor of character development, action sequences, and emotional gut punches.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
Read a book and sip tea in front of the central fireplace, swim between the indoor and outdoor sections of the glimmering pool, and soak your aching quads in the hot tubs under the evergreens and aspens while listening to the peaceful babble of Gore Creek.—
Sarah Kuta,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rambling. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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