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ramble Meaning & Definition

/ˈɹæmbəl/

What Does Ramble Mean?

As a noun, ramble means A leisurely stroll; a recreational walk in the countryside. It is also used to mean A rambling; an instance of someone talking at length without direction. As a verb, it means To move about aimlessly, or on a winding course.

Ramble in Brief

Part of speechnoun, verb
Pronunciation/ˈɹæmbəl/
Synonymssaunter, cast and drift
Pluralrambles
Verb formsrambles, rambling, rambled

Ramble Definition (Noun)

  1. A leisurely stroll; a recreational walk in the countryside.
  2. A rambling; an instance of someone talking at length without direction.
  3. A bed of shale over the seam of coal.
  4. A section of woodland suitable for leisurely walking.

Ramble as a Verb

  1. To move about aimlessly, or on a winding course.
  2. To walk for pleasure; to amble or saunter.
  3. To lead the life of a vagabond or itinerant; to move about with no fixed place of address.
  4. To talk or write incessantly, unclearly, or incoherently, with many digressions.

    Francine has a tendency to ramble when it gets to be late in the evening.

  5. To follow a winding path or course.

    The river rambled through the mountains.

Synonyms of Ramble

Ramble synonyms and antonyms →

Ramble in a Sentence

Francine has a tendency to ramble when it gets to be late in the evening.

She often rambles about bees' behavior, both in the hive and in the field.

Usually I don't mind listening to her ramble on a bit; it can be soothing.

Last night she was rambling on about horticultural methods, which was so soothing that I nodded off.

The river rambled through the mountains.

Word Forms & Grammar

ramble (plural rambles)

ramble (third-person singular simple present rambles, present participle rambling, simple past and past participle rambled)

Words That Rhyme With Ramble

scramblegambolshamblehamblescamblepreamblefambleunscramblestone brambleamblebramblecambellcampbelldamn billdillingham billgamblesambalstambultrambleyambol

Origin of Ramble

Origin 1: An altered form (with dissimilation of mm to mb) of dialectal rammle, from Middle English *ramlen, *ramelen, frequentative of Middle English ramen (“to roam, ramble”); compare Swedish ramla (“to stumble; fall; make a noise; rumble”), Danish ramle (“to stumble; collapse; thunder; boom”); equivalent to roam +‎ -le.

Origin 2: "mid-15 c., perhaps frequentative of 'romen' 'to walk, go' perhaps via 'romblen' (late 14 c.) 'to ramble.' The vowel change perhaps by influence of Middle Dutch 'rammelen,' a derivative of 'rammen' 'copulate,' 'used of the night wanderings of the amorous cat.' Meaning 'to talk or write incoherently' is from 1630s".[1]

Quick Answers About Ramble

Is ramble a noun or a verb?

Ramble is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

What is another word for ramble?

Words with a similar meaning to ramble include saunter, cast and drift. See the full list of ramble synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of ramble?

The plural of ramble is rambles.

What is the past tense of ramble?

The past tense of ramble is rambled. The present participle is rambling.

More About Ramble On Meaning Stash

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