ramble
verb
ram·ble
| \ ˈram-bəl
\
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rambled;
rambling\ ˈram-b(ə-)liŋ
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Definition of ramble
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: to move aimlessly from place to place
rambled through the little town
b
: to explore idly
After one rambles through the maps for a time … some overall impressions begin to emerge.— John Noble Wilford
2a
: to talk or write in an aimless, erratic, and often long-winded fashion
The hunk starts to ramble on and on, and the women seem quite annoyed. — Monk Magazine
b
: to be related or written in a long-winded or wandering fashion
a story that rambles
3
: to grow or extend irregularly
To me, pea greens are the culinary equivalent of morning glories, sprouting overnight, rambling here and there, turning the grower into a shepherd, at least for the duration.— Molly O'Neill
: to wander over : roam
ramble
nounDefinition of ramble (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: a leisurely excursion for pleasure
especially
: an aimless walk
2
: a rambling story or discussion
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Synonyms for ramble
Synonyms: Verb
blather (on), go on, maunder, rattle, run on
Synonyms: Noun
excursion, jaunt, junket, outing, sally, sashay, sortie, spin
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Examples of ramble in a Sentence
Verb
She rambled for several minutes before introducing the main speaker. He's funny, but he tends to ramble.Noun
We went for a ramble along the beach. He encountered many interesting people in his rambles in the country. The first chapter is a 100-page ramble. We had to listen to another one of his long rambles about politics and religion.
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
According to reporters, the second-year Vols coach spent the first 21 minutes of his allotted 30 minutes at the podium rambling through his opening statement to avoid taking questions. — Charlotte Carroll, SI.com, "Jeremy Pruitt Spends SEC Media Day Talking for 21 Minutes Straight to Delay Questioning," 16 July 2019 So the Nixons spent two weeks rambling through Mexico and eating randomly, sometimes pork and beans for breakfast, sometimes grapefruit slices for dinner. — Christopher Reynolds, latimes.com, "On this vacation, ask yourself: What would Nixon do? Beyoncé? Anthony Bourdain?," 20 June 2019 Earlier, his answer on health care and undocumented immigrants could most charitably be described as rambling. — Aric Chokey, sun-sentinel.com, "How did the Democratic candidates do in their first round of debates? We rated them.," 28 June 2019 This adventure is an ale and lager-fueled journey on a historic steam locomotive, rambling along the scenic Animas River. — Monica Parpal Stockbridge, The Know, "5 summer adventures crafted around craft beer," 12 June 2019 Darius has been listening to me ramble, but now he’s done listening. — Gregg Doyel, Indianapolis Star, "Doyel: Hit hard and carry a big chip — Colts LB Darius Leonard will never be satisfied," 11 June 2019 There is a food scene, a creative community, and a historic downtown perfect for long, lazy rambles—in addition to all those other mountain thrills that have brought visitors to this region for decades. — Todd Plummer, Vogue, "Why Bay Area Residents Are Flocking to Truckee, California—And You Should Too," 11 Dec. 2018 Once Ava has learned to cook and, oddly, once the title character is born, the book rambles less purposefully, feeling more like an assortment of stories than the flowing narrative of Bragg’s earlier memoirs. — Rebekah Denn, The Christian Science Monitor, "'The Best Cook in the World' is Rick Bragg's tribute to his mother and her somewhat exotic culinary skills," 25 Apr. 2018 Now my mother is making over the garden in rambling color, overwriting its history, once again, with olive trees, a fig, kitchen herbs, and a jacaranda. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "Walking Through the Past Into New Motherhood," 10 Apr. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Because that may be his first thought of the moment or his first ramble or his first raving. — NBC News, "Meet the Press - August 25, 2019," 25 Aug. 2019 He’s written his share of memorable melodies, and the loose, countrified ramble of his band’s records provides plenty to appreciate on a purely musical level. — Mark Richardson, WSJ, "‘Purple Mountains’ Review: A Poet of Comic Desperation," 10 July 2019 The place to start your rambles is King Street, which begins at the Potomac River waterfront and extends for some 5 miles, although most of the 160 shops and restaurants are along a 1-mile stretch close to the river. — Patti Nickell, Dallas News, "History comes to life in vibrant Alexandria, Va.," 30 July 2019 The shaded wrap-around porch is a lovely spot to sip a hazy IPA and take a brisket break on a summer ramble down Highway 1. — Sunset Staff, Sunset Magazine, "Pull This Pork, Dip That Chip, and 5 More Things to See & Do This Week," 29 July 2019 The place to start your rambles is King Street, which begins at the Potomac River waterfront and extends for some five miles, although most of the 160 shops and restaurants are along a one-mile stretch close to the river. — Patti Nickell, chicagotribune.com, "Near the nation’s capital, Alexandria offers history come to vibrant life," 1 July 2019 Three via ferratas race along the cliffs in the 123-square-mile Saguenay Fjords National Park, including La Grande Dalle, a 656-foot-high ramble across a gigantic vertical slab. — The Editors, Outside Online, "The Best Road Trips in North America," 10 June 2019 Our splendid ramble traces the southern edge of Ennerdale Water, the park’s most westerly lake—and one of its most remote. — National Geographic, "Hiking England Coast to Coast," 12 June 2019 This downtown ramble begins in NoHo, where three strong galleries cluster on Great Jones Street. — Jason Farago, New York Times, "10 Galleries to Visit Now Around SoHo and TriBeCa," 26 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ramble.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for ramble
ramble
verb
English Language Learners Definition of ramble
(Entry 1 of 2)
: to walk or go from one place to another place without a specific goal, purpose, or direction
: to go from one subject to another without any clear purpose or direction