Word
ramble
Phoneticsram·ble, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɹæmbəɫ/
UK/ɹˈæmbəl/
Definition
n. a long, informal talk or piece of writing that goes off in many different directions. It is often used when someone is speaking without a clear plan.
n. a long, informal, and often meandering speech or piece of writing. Frequently used to describe a lack of structure or a tendency to drift from the main topic.
Examples
“The professor gave a long ramble about his summer holiday.”
“I tried to ask a specific question, but he just gave me a long ramble about his new car.”
“The essay was a ramble through various historical events without ever providing a clear thesis or connecting the dots between the different periods.”
Examples
simple
“The professor gave a long ramble about his summer holiday.”
contextual
“I tried to ask a specific question, but he just gave me a long ramble about his new car.”
complex
“The essay was a ramble through various historical events without ever providing a clear thesis or connecting the dots between the different periods.”
Real-World Examples
“Elio, for instance, is the sweet and lively tale of a lonely boy learning to open himself to friendship, but its narrative rambles all over the place.” “Polish-French jazz quartet Lumpeks sound like Ornette Coleman on a prolonged ramble through the Polish countryside.” Etymology
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. "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".
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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