arrant
3
9.9
- adjective
- /ˈɛrənt/
- Literature
:
absoluto
- Sometimes you are full of the most arrant nonsense.
Examples
-
The politician's speech was filled with arrant lies that deceived many voters.
-
What shall I do with these arrant doubts I have been nursing for years?
Academic text (2010) -
We are arrant knaves all, believe none of us.
-
I, like many thousands of others, loved Jurassic Park, but it is, of course, filled with the most arrant nonsense.
Blog text (16) -
And I say to you that it is nothing but an arrant fraud, concocted from piss and ink.
-
The fact you are willing to believe (and trumpet) arrant nonsense says everything we need to know about your political views.
Blog text (10) -
Marry, sir, our watch tonight have ta'en a couple of as arrant knaves as any in Messina.
-
"This is arrant superstition."
Fiction book (1993) -
However much Mill admired Coleridge, he was sure that he was "an arrant driveller" in matters of economics.
Academic text (1997) -
The claim that Europe consists of "Christian" nations is an arrant fraud, and it serves only to weaken the resolute self-examination that the spiritual crisis requires.
Academic text (1999)
Synonyms
355
5.1
Used to call someone a complete fool to insult them
343
2.8
People say this to show something is totally bad or extreme
283
3.9
Completely and only that thing, often to show dislike
144
3.7
Complete and absolute, showing a very strong degree
79
5.6
Clear and extreme, often in an unpleasant way
65
4.3
Very serious and obvious, showing a large fault or failure
27
7.7
Extremely skilled and perfect in what they do
11
6.7
Shows something is completely bad or extreme
6
6.9
Complete and not mixed with anything, used to show strong feeling
2
7.7
Done completely and carefully, leaving nothing out
1
9.6
Being very bad and dishonest in a strong way
1
9.9
A mildly rude word people use to show strong annoyance in Britain
Surface Forms
Etymology
Arrant comes from an old French word errant, from the verb errer meaning 'to wander'. Later, being 'wandering' became a way to describe someone obviously bad or loose in behaviour, so arrant came to mean 'complete' or 'utter' in a bad way, as in 'arrant nonsense'.