rambling
adjective
ram·bling
ˈram-b(ə-)liŋ 
1
: proceeding without a specific goal, purpose, or direction: such as
a
: wandering about from one place to another
a rambling walk
b
: straying from subject to subject
a rambling essay/discussion/discourse
a rambling talker
His text is at times repetitious and rambling.—
Robert Howard
Robert Howard
c
: stretching, spreading, or growing in a winding or irregular way
a rambling stream
rambling roses
2
: large and informally designed
a rambling farmhouse
… blue-tinged shots give the sinister prison … the air of a rambling edifice out of Dickens.—Celia Wren
Celia Wren
ramblingly
adverb
a ramblingly told story
Examples of rambling in a Sentence
I listened patiently to Mrs. Parsifal's rambling reminiscences, though I had no idea who "Dorothy" and "the stepson" were
the new minister gives rambling sermons that, if they have a point, are lost on the congregation, which invariably falls asleep
Recent Examples on the Web
Episodes are long, rambling, and shapeless.
—Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
On a recent afternoon at the facility, a training exercise was taking place inside a small room filled with the noise of tools and rambling motors.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
This one makes for rambling, wise company.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
In an impassioned, sometimes rambling speech, Simmons stressed the importance of passing this bill by noting that some of the biggest artists of all time — who often sang other peoples’ work — never got paid for the copious radio airplay of their music.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2025
The rambling album is at once playful and cutting, as Snider's songs address addiction, mortality, and the importance of finding happiness in daily life.
—Audrey Gibbs, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
The result was rambling, like a charming yet sweaty mixtape.
—Anna Russell, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
The Gerbi family also controls the trendy Paris retailer Merci, a rambling concept shop that opened in 2009 with a charitable mission.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
Kiley, 40, a Republican, is in his second term representing a rambling district that stretches from the northeastern Sacramento suburbs, through Placer and nearby counties and down to Death Valley.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2025
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Judy Berman, Time, 26 Dec. 2025
On a recent afternoon at the facility, a training exercise was taking place inside a small room filled with the noise of tools and rambling motors.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 21 Dec. 2025
This one makes for rambling, wise company.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
In an impassioned, sometimes rambling speech, Simmons stressed the importance of passing this bill by noting that some of the biggest artists of all time — who often sang other peoples’ work — never got paid for the copious radio airplay of their music.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2025
The rambling album is at once playful and cutting, as Snider's songs address addiction, mortality, and the importance of finding happiness in daily life.
—Audrey Gibbs, USA Today, 16 Nov. 2025
The result was rambling, like a charming yet sweaty mixtape.
—Anna Russell, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
The Gerbi family also controls the trendy Paris retailer Merci, a rambling concept shop that opened in 2009 with a charitable mission.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2025
Kiley, 40, a Republican, is in his second term representing a rambling district that stretches from the northeastern Sacramento suburbs, through Placer and nearby counties and down to Death Valley.
—David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Rambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rambling. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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