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
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Recent Examples of rambling
Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Kiehne was frustrated with the Joneses because the county government wouldn’t grade the dirt road up to his ranch, a rambling territory along the New Mexico border.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Check out the fragrant Kelleher Rose Garden and the rambling Fenway Victory Gardens, originally planted by citizens in 1941 as a source of food during World War II.
—Kori Perten, AFAR Media, 24 Sep. 2025
Trump touched on those issues as well in a rambling UN address that more closely resembled his campaign speech, filled with attacks and lists of achievements.
—Daniel Bush, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Boelter’s motivation remains unclear, but investigators found a one-and-a-half-page letter, described as rambling and difficult to read, that was ascribed to him.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
Cristin Milioti’s therapy notes, Seth Rogen’s rambling delight, Owen Cooper’s halting honesty, all examples of presence that will outlast the highlight reels of gowns and jokes.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Bargatze’s bit is predicated on the fact that most awards show speeches are self-indulgent, rambling tributes to other celebrities, which is fine.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
The final part is a rather rambling segment philosophizing on proof of the afterlife—in line with dozens of similar texts from this era of psychical research.
—Alice Vernon
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
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
In the past several years, Edge had filed a string of civil lawsuits with rambling, sometimes conspiratorial claims.
—Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2025
Kiehne was frustrated with the Joneses because the county government wouldn’t grade the dirt road up to his ranch, a rambling territory along the New Mexico border.
—Mitch Moxley, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2025
Check out the fragrant Kelleher Rose Garden and the rambling Fenway Victory Gardens, originally planted by citizens in 1941 as a source of food during World War II.
—Kori Perten, AFAR Media, 24 Sep. 2025
Trump touched on those issues as well in a rambling UN address that more closely resembled his campaign speech, filled with attacks and lists of achievements.
—Daniel Bush, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 Sep. 2025
Boelter’s motivation remains unclear, but investigators found a one-and-a-half-page letter, described as rambling and difficult to read, that was ascribed to him.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 16 Sep. 2025
Cristin Milioti’s therapy notes, Seth Rogen’s rambling delight, Owen Cooper’s halting honesty, all examples of presence that will outlast the highlight reels of gowns and jokes.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Bargatze’s bit is predicated on the fact that most awards show speeches are self-indulgent, rambling tributes to other celebrities, which is fine.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 15 Sep. 2025
The final part is a rather rambling segment philosophizing on proof of the afterlife—in line with dozens of similar texts from this era of psychical research.
—Alice Vernon
september 8, Literary Hub, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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
-
Others described sightings of a woman dressed in black wandering hallways, gardens and along the seashore.—
Noreen Kompanik,
Boston Herald,
26 Oct. 2025
-
And there’s even an AI Kevin O’Leary wandering cyberspace.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
22 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Video posted on Facebook shows a tree service worker leaning an extremely tall ladder up to an enormous tree in order to rescue a very talkative — and thankful — black cat.—
TJ Macias,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Mbeumo, nicknamed Brice, was not shy at football but talkative and funny.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Tucked between Sedona's iconic red sandstone cliffs and the babbling Oak Creek, L’Auberge de Sedona has long been considered one of Arizona's most inviting retreats.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Holding back tears, Christine Ulrich recalls how her daughter Veda once loved dancing, drawing and babbling.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Minnesota set the tone for how this game would unfold in the first quarter, with a goal of rattling Goff and speeding up his internal clock.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But any agreement reached will be just one touchstone in a thorny and volatile great power rivalry between the world’s superpower democracy and an authoritarian China, whose growing military assertiveness under Xi in the East and South China Seas is rattling US allies in the region.—
Betsy Klein,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
But even though Toews and Kane are still roaming NHL rinks, that past is pretty far back now.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
31 Oct. 2025
-
If the press and talent guests are a select few, there’s more access to the folks roaming the halls.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The windproof and thermal wool blend fabric is the perfect shell to protect you on the many fall days in Paris, as the whipping wind adds an unexpected cool factor while strolling around town.—
Lane Nieset,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Nov. 2025
-
This sighting comes six days after Lawrence kicked off her Halloween celebrations early in New York, where she was spotted strolling around in a black witch hat.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
1 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Complete with a puffy pink dress and exaggerated makeup, her whimsical take on the show’s contestants was a crowd favorite.—
Kate Hogan,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The influencer’s minidress featured exaggerated off-the-shoulder sleeves with red and pink toned florals with green stems set against a black fabric.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Now the babble about them is back.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Mesopotamian corpses, stirred by the babble of trade, wander the halls wrapped in shrouds of extravagant malice.—
David Velasco,
Harpers Magazine,
18 Dec. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rambling. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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