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Added 9 October 2026

rampant

/ˈɹæm.pənt/ adjective

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about rampant at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Unrestrained and violent.
rampant aggression
Rearing on left hind leg with forelegs elevated and head usually in profile.
a lion rampant
(of a plant) having a lush and unchecked growth.
a rampant growth of weeds

Origin

From Middle English rampand, rampend, present participle of rampen (“to rise by climbing, shoot up, sprout, sty, ascend”), from Old French ramper (“to creep, climb”) (see below), equivalent to ramp + -and or ramp + -ant. Recorded since 1382, "standing on the hind legs" (as in heraldry), later, "fierce, ravenous" (1387). Compare Scots rampand (“rampant”). Alternatively from Middle English *rampant, from Old French rampant, the present participle of ramper (“to creep, climb”), equivalent to ramp + -ant.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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