rampant

Rampant is an adjective with several related senses. In general usage, it describes something that is flourishing or spreading unchecked, often in an undesirable way. It can refer to vegetation, disease, crime, corruption, or any phenomenon that grows or expands without restraint. The adverb form rampant-ly (rampantly) is used to describe actions that spread or occur widely. The term is often employed figuratively to emphasize extensive or rapid growth.

Etymology traces rampant to Old French rampant, meaning “creeping, crawling,” from rampre “to creep.” The sense shift from creeping motion to vigorous, uncontrolled expansion developed over time in English, yielding both descriptive and metaphorical uses.

In heraldry, rampant denotes a specific posture of a beast, typically a lion, standing on its hind legs with forelegs raised as if in combat. This stance conveys strength and aggression and is a common motif on coats of arms, banners, and heraldic devices. A beast rampant is usually depicted facing a particular direction and is one of the standard heraldic positions alongside others such as courant or statant.

Beyond heraldry, rampant is widely used in contemporary prose to describe widespread, often excessive, phenomena. Examples include rampant inflation, rampant corruption, and rampant weed growth, where the emphasis is on unrestrained, rapid spread rather than a measured, controlled state.

Overall, rampant conveys a sense of energetic, unchecked expansion or display, whether in a symbolic heraldic figure or in real-world phenomena.