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
Synonyms & Similar 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
Examples 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
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
Harris came in trying to rattle and bait Trump, and often succeeded, leading to defensive, angry and rambling responses as the vice president had the upper hand throughout much of the contest.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
Adjective
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
Harris came in trying to rattle and bait Trump, and often succeeded, leading to defensive, angry and rambling responses as the vice president had the upper hand throughout much of the contest.
—Zac Anderson, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rambling
Adjective
-
One thing Sacco is not concerned about with Frederic is a wandering focus because of his contract situation.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
30 Dec. 2024
-
The wandering nerve was apparent to the first anatomists, notably Galen, the Greek polymath who lived until around the year 216.—
R Douglas Fields,
WIRED,
29 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
Claypool has missed the last five practices, and even while on the sideline during Monday’s practice, his talkative nature with some of the defenders did not go over well with the other side of the ball.—
Joe Buscaglia,
The Athletic,
5 Aug. 2024
-
In 2001's Bridget Jones's Diary, what starts as a not-so-meet-cute between the talkative Bridget (Renée Zellweger) and the offensive Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at a New Year's Eve party unfolds into one of the most swoon-worthy rom-coms the genre has to offer.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
20 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Today, her daughter, Dana, is growing up like any other Swiss suburban child, in Basel now, splashing around in toddler swim classes and speaking to her mother in a babbling mix of English and Ukrainian.—
Ann Scott Tyson,
The Christian Science Monitor,
8 Nov. 2024
-
Washington mom uses sign language to convey daughter’s babbling to deaf husband Courtney Lotane recently documented her car ride in Seattle, Washington.—
Ashlyn Messier,
Fox News,
20 Sep. 2023
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
Adjective
-
The reports of Andrews’ 2024 demise were greatly exaggerated.—
Bill Reinhard,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2025
-
However, the study cautions that claims of enhanced accuracy through advanced computational methods are often exaggerated.—
Bruce Gil,
Quartz,
9 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
The deal comes after weeks of a number of intensive rounds of indirect negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha between Israel and Hamas, mediated by facilitators from U.S., Egypt and Qatar.—
Michele Kelemen,
NPR,
15 Jan. 2025
-
This occurs when a high percentage of people in a community have developed immunity, ensuring that future outbreaks affect fewer individuals and are quickly contained. Humans, of course, are not the only species that benefits from the direct and indirect protections of vaccines.—
Simon F. Haeder,
The Conversation,
14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
In this grid, Mr. Enfinger suggests a wordier option: TOOK A SHOT AT.—
Sam Corbin,
New York Times,
14 Jan. 2025
-
Chatty newsletters, wordy Substacks and quirky TikTok videos and Instagram stories rely more heavily on personality and emotion than do their TV and old-school print counterparts.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
6 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
When that’s chucked in a blender with his own penchant for spiky-savvy verbosity, the results fizz and pop.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
10 Nov. 2024
-
But many French are deeply sick of hearing his volcanic verbosity.—
Lee Hockstader,
Washington Post,
1 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near rambling
Cite this Entry
“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rambling. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share