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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of rambling
Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
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
Adjective
Refine your key points to be clear and concise—no rambling monologues.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rambling
Adjective
-
The film is narrated in the languages of the cultures the characters move through, as Burmese gives way to Thai, to Vietnamese, and beyond — a wandering, collective dream.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
28 Mar. 2025
-
The wandering pack needs more females for their new society and there are two females and two males inside the small cage.—
Chip Bell,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
There were also happier times, including winning the FA Cup in 2014 and 2015 and two Community Shield trophies, with an extremely talkative Arteta alongside him in midfield.—
Dermot Corrigan,
The Athletic,
16 Jan. 2025
-
Finney-Smith has become one of the team’s most talkative players and a consistent source of energy.—
Dan Woike,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Indeed, Best was cast for the malleable mannerisms and babbling delivery displayed in his stand-up comedy, and sat with Lucas to study the motivation behind Keaton’s movement.—
Bill Desowitz,
IndieWire,
18 Apr. 2025
-
It’s been almost a quarter-century since Renée Zellweger first stepped into the shoes of the wine-guzzling, smoking, babbling, pratfall-prone and terminally awkward title character in Bridget Jones’s Diary.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
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
-
Who knows how regular this blues-rock gig will be for the perpetually roaming Murray, but the timing is good.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For some royal watchers, Prince Louis stole the show, copying Prince George and giving an exaggerated eye roll in another heart-warming moment.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 May 2025
-
He is also known for his avant-garde silhouettes that incorporate exaggerated and twisting volumes.—
Miles Socha,
Footwear News,
12 May 2025
Adjective
-
Cook over indirect heat: Make sure there are no flames directly beneath the food.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
15 May 2025
-
Little has come of new indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas led by Trump’s envoys and Qatar and Egyptian mediators in Doha.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
Though some critics at the time were exasperated by having to read such a big, wordy book, The Times selected it as one of the best books of the year.—
Carolyn Kellogg,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 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
Noun
-
Coogler can let his characters’ verbosity get the better of story momentum.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Still, the challenge lies in managing the explosive verbosity that modern tools enable effortlessly.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes,
24 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rambling. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
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