rant
/ɹænt/ verb, noun
Forms rants ranting ranted
- verb To speak or shout at length in uncontrollable anger.
- verb To disseminate one's own opinions in a—typically—one-sided, strong manner. “Harry was ranting about his boss again, but nobody paid any attention.”
- verb To criticize by ranting.
- verb (dated) To speak extravagantly, as in merriment.
- verb To dance rant steps.
- noun A criticism done by ranting.
- noun A wild, emotional, and sometimes incoherent articulation.
- noun A type of dance step usually performed in clogs, and particularly (but not exclusively) associated with the English North West Morris tradition. The rant step consists of alternately bringing one foot across and in front of the other and striking the ground, with the other foot making a little hop.
Synonyms
harangue ranting bombast fustian claptrap blah mouth off jabber spout rabbit on rave
Etymology
From Dutch ranten, randen (“to talk nonsense, rave”), from Middle Dutch ranten (“to rant, babble, goof around”), of uncertain origin; but apparently related to Middle High German ranzen (“to dance, jump around, frolic”), German ranzen (“to be ardent, be in heat, copulate, mate, ramble, join up”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To rave in violent, high-sounding, or extravagant language, without dignity of thought; to be noisy, boisterous, and bombastic in talk or declamation; as, a ranting preacher.
- noun High-sounding language, without importance or dignity of thought; boisterous, empty declamation; bombast; as, the rant of fanatics.
Etymology [OD. ranten, randen, to dote, to be enraged.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “rant”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details