ramble 1 of 5

ramble

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verb (1)

1
as in to rattle
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
3
as in to stroll
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

rambling

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adjective

rambling

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verb (2)

present participle of ramble

rambling

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noun (2)

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rambling
Verb
See cheap flights to Bristol Airport Megan Michelson is an Outside contributing editor and avid traveler who once lived in England for a year and went on a lot of long rambles through the countryside. Megan Michelson, Outside Online, 27 Jan. 2025 There’s a discursive ramble about ordering Chinese food that takes on a strange power. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
Nothing drains energy faster than a leader who rambles without clarity. Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 One law enforcement source said authorities are also aware of a rambling audio recording posted online that could be associated with the incident, in which a man describes his intention to attack an in vitro fertilization clinic. Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 20 May 2025
Verb
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 See All Example Sentences for rambling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rambling
Adjective
  • His wandering eye soon focused on a mutual friend, the American heiress Pauline Pfeiffer, and the two began an affair.
    Tony Perrottet, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 June 2025
  • The wandering crocs are not the only examples of animals that were able to survive on islands far longer than on the mainland.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • Emily soon bonds with the talkative rebel, and their connection eventually blossoms into a full-on romance.
    James Mercadante, EW.com, 8 June 2025
  • They are not injured, just very loud and talkative.
    Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025
Adjective
  • Skinny brows, an exaggerated cat-eye, and a rich red lip added to the maximalist Parisian glamour.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 July 2025
  • Onana, for example, tends to make more exaggerated adjustments before shots — a style that has its benefits but can occasionally lead to mistimed reactions or suboptimal set positions.
    Matt Pyzdrowski, New York Times, 9 July 2025
Adjective
  • In the video, Ina demonstrates that the secret lies in combo cooking; mixing direct and indirect grilling.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 June 2025
  • Direct and indirect loans to the general fund budget come from special funds set aside for specific purposes, and after three years of deficit spending the state has accumulated many billions of dollars of internal debt that will have to be repaid sometime.
    Dan Walters, Mercury News, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • Getting this into English would be clunky and far too wordy to fit into Quino’s word bubbles.
    Lily Meyer, The Dial, 20 May 2025
  • In the clip, Harris gave a wordy answer when asked about Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
    Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Words, including those of artists themselves—as prolix in their way as critics, curators, and historians—can serve vision but can also deflect from it.
    Barry Schwabsky, ARTnews.com, 3 Sep. 2019
  • In 1949, a young American artist named Ray Johnson left Black Mountain College near Asheville, N.C., moved to New York City and began to explore his prolix talents, both visual and verbal.
    Roberta Smith, New York Times, 30 May 2024
Adjective
  • The lawmaker said that the usable speech only came after four or five prompts that generated unusable material, either too verbose or oddly phrased, an illustration of how important the input into the AI is to the result.
    Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Jan. 2023
  • The verbose coach was at somewhat of a loss for words, opting to forgo opening remarks in his postgame press conference and instead diving right into questions.
    Tom Green | tgreen@al.com, al, 18 Jan. 2023
Adjective
  • Decision-makers don’t have time to waste, and making your message long-winded decreases the likelihood of them even bothering to read it.
    Rachel Wells, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
  • All of this is a vaguely long-winded way of making a simple point — the outlook for Wolves’ defence has changed dramatically over the course of this season.
    Steve Madeley, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rambling. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.

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