RAMPANT


Meaning of RAMPANT in English

/ ˈræmpənt; NAmE / adjective

1.

( of sth bad ) existing or spreading everywhere in a way that cannot be controlled

SYN unchecked :

rampant inflation

Unemployment is now rampant in most of Europe.

2.

( of plants ) growing thickly and very fast in a way that cannot be controlled

►  ram·pant·ly adverb

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WORD ORIGIN

Middle English (as a heraldic term): from Old French , literally crawling , present participle of ramper creep, crawl, of unknown origin. From the original use describing a wild animal, arose the sense fierce , whence the current notion of unrestrained .

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.