to ramble

Examples

• All

• The conversation rambled along through new subjects, Lucas enjoying it and laughing.

  Fiction book (1994)

• As I listened to the butcher rambling on, it hit me...

  Setup (2011)

• Mrs. Brown proceeded to ramble, but finally she got to the winners.

  Fiction book (1997)

• You can ramble on about it, but do you have some cartoons or something that you could catch up on?

  Kalamity (2010)

• I love to talk and if there were times today where you know, I rambled, I'm sorry.

  André Duqum

• Anyway, I'm rambling on here.

  Home Alone (1990)

• Anyway, I've rambled on a bit about some of the work I find exciting.

  Academic text (2012)

• Finally, someone finds him, completely delirious, rambling on about the fabulous gold strike.

  Fiction book (1995)

• He contradicted himself, he rambled, he became angry.

• Lucas glanced at her and almost said something, but Greave was rambling on.

  Fiction book (1994)

Synonyms

B

to babble

vsto ramble

75 4.4

Talk quickly in a silly way that is hard to understand

shares rapidity sometimes but stresses lack of clear direction or sense

W

to wander

vsto ramble

50 3.3

Lose focus or go off the main subject

is similar but emphasizes long confused or aimless talking rather than digression

R

to run on

vsto ramble

• Informal

38 5.0

To talk for a long time without stopping, often giving too many details

is more about lack of clear direction and confused content rather than length alone

R

to ramble on

vsto ramble

• Informal

15 6.2

Talk for a long time in an unclear way about small unimportant things

has identical meaning but appears as a two-word phrasal form rather than one word

B

to blather

vsto ramble

• Informal

12 8.0

To talk a lot in a silly way that makes little sense

focuses more on wandering structure and lack of clear direction

D

to drone on

vsto ramble

• Informal

10 6.0

Talk for a long time in a boring, flat voice

matches long speech but emphasizes confused wandering rather than monotony

P

to prattle

vsto ramble

9 8.4

To talk on and on in a silly way about unimportant things

is similar but stresses confused or aimless structure rather than foolishness

G

to gabble

vsto ramble

1 7.9

To talk quickly and unclearly so others cannot understand you

is similar but highlights aimless or confused length rather than speed

P

to palaver

vsto ramble

1 9.4

To talk for a long time about unimportant things

is less elaborate and more about confused or aimless progression

H

to haver

vsto ramble

• UK

1 9.9

To talk for a long time about silly or unimportant things

is more about confused or disorganized long speech than silliness alone

J

to jog

vsto ramble

1 7.2

To continue in a boring way without a clear purpose

is similar but applies more generally to confused or disorganized speech or writing

M

to maunder

vsto ramble

• UK

9.9

To talk in a slow, unclear way about unimportant things

is the same unfocused long talk but without the indistinct or murky tone

T

to twaddle

vsto ramble

• Archaic

9.0

To talk for a long time about unimportant things in a silly way

is less about speed and more about lacking clear purpose or order

B

to bibble

vsto ramble

• Archaic

9.9

To speak quickly in a confused or silly way

shares incoherence but focuses on sustained confused or aimless talking rather than speed

Phrasal Verbs

R

to ramble on

• Informal

15 6.2

Talk for a long time in an unclear way about small unimportant things

How Aimless

to babble

75 4.4

to ramble

• Informal

48 5.3

to prattle

9 8.4

to chat

• Informal

269 1.0

talk

947 1.0

to say

∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

Etymology