What does rampant mean?
Word: Rampant
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Rampant means spreading so fast that it is difficult to stop.
How do you spell rampant?
Syllables: ram - pant
Tricky part: The last syllable is weak, and pupils guess at its vowel. The word has two a's and no other vowel.
Watch out for: rampent, rampint, rampante
Memory tip: A wild plant grabs everything in sight, and this word grabs the same vowel twice: a and a.
Rampant in a sentence
Example 1: Rampant ivy had covered the whole garden wall.
Example 2: Plastic litter was rampant along this stretch of the river until volunteers began to clean it.
Example 3: Rising prices were rampant that year, and families bought less.
Fun Fact
The Royal Banner of Scotland, often called the Lion Rampant, shows a red lion rearing up on its hind legs. That older sense goes back to an Old French verb for creeping or climbing.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
ra_pa_t
a) n, n
b) m, n
c) m, m
d) n, m
Show answer
b) m, n. An m comes before the p, and an n before the t.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
ramppant
a) r
b) t
c) m
d) p
Show answer
d) p. Only one p is needed here.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the meaning of the only correctly spelt word in the list.
1. rampant 2. exuberent 3. profuce 4. unruley
a) out of hand and running wild
b) full of energy and cheerfulness
c) difficult to manage or control
d) produced in very large amounts
Show answer
a) out of hand and running wild. Profuse takes an s, exuberant wants ant and unruly has no e, so only one word stands.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word rampant as used in the sentence:
The rampant growth of water hyacinth now covers half the lake behind our school.
a) occasional
b) harmless
c) limited
d) uncontrolled
Show answer
d) uncontrolled. Growth that nobody has checked is uncontrolled.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What does a garden with rampant bamboo need most urgently?
a) a taller sign with the plant's name on it
b) a shadier spot for its first small shoots
c) regular cutting back before it goes further
d) more seeds and plenty of extra water
Show answer
c) regular cutting back before it goes further
2. Which phrase fits the word rampant best?
a) a tidy lawn, freshly mown
b) a single rose in a glass vase
c) weeds taking over a whole field
d) one neat row of young carrots
Show answer
c) weeds taking over a whole field
