rampant
Growing without restraint
Rampant describes something spreading or growing unchecked, usually something undesirable: rampant corruption, rampant inflation, disease running rampant.
The word suggests vigorous, unrestrained proliferation that has gotten out of control.
In heraldry, rampant describes an animal depicted standing on its hind legs with forelegs raised, as in a lion rampant—the posture suggesting aggressive vitality that connects to the word's broader sense of unbridled force.
Not controlled or limited
- unrestrainedNot held back
- unbridledWithout any restraint
- runawayOne who flees
- ragingViolently uncontrolled
unregulated · lawless · chaotic · undisciplined · unmanageable · uncontained · unfettered · untamed
Maned African feline
- griffinLegendary eagle-lion hybrid
- unicornMythical one-horned horse
- rearingNurturing to maturity
- hind legsAnimal's back limbs
coat of arms · crest · shield · emblem · blazon · escutcheon · charge · dormant
Existing in excess
- extravagantExceeding sensible bounds
- immoderateBeyond reasonable bounds
- exorbitantUnreasonably high, as costs
- inordinateExceeding proper limits
rife · profuse · pervasive · prevalent · endemic · systemic · ubiquitous · flagrant
Prospering vigorously
- thrivingSucceeding vigorously
- burgeoningExpanding or developing rapidly
- bloomingProducing flowers now
- surgingRising with sudden force
booming · sprouting · blossoming · proliferating · mushrooming · escalating · exploding · skyrocketing
Rapid increase in quantity
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
- transmissionSending of information
diffusion · dissemination · propagation · circulation · permeation · invasion · infestation · escalation
unchecked
Not controlled or limited
- unrestrainedNot held back
- unbridledWithout any restraint
- runawayOne who flees
raging · unregulated · lawless · chaotic · undisciplined · unmanageable · uncontained · unfettered · untamed · unhindered
lion
Maned African feline
hind legs · coat of arms · crest · shield · emblem · blazon · escutcheon · charge · dormant · couchant
overabundant
Existing in excess
- extravagantExceeding sensible bounds
- immoderateBeyond reasonable bounds
- exorbitantUnreasonably high, as costs
inordinate · rife · profuse · pervasive · prevalent · endemic · systemic · ubiquitous · flagrant · blatant
flourishing
Prospering vigorously
- thrivingSucceeding vigorously
- burgeoningExpanding or developing rapidly
- bloomingProducing flowers now
surging · booming · sprouting · blossoming · proliferating · mushrooming · escalating · exploding · skyrocketing · snowballing
proliferation
Rapid increase in quantity
- contagionDisease spread by contact
- epidemicWidespread disease occurrence
- pandemicGlobal disease outbreak
transmission · diffusion · dissemination · propagation · circulation · permeation · invasion · infestation · escalation · expansion
- chaosmayhem, chaotic, pandemonium, bedlam, turmoil
- overgrownovergrown, tangled, weedy, wild, unkempt
- problem adjectivesserious, severe, major, minor, critical
- heraldrycoat of arms, coats of arms, crest, crests, arms
- heraldry termscouchant, dormant, salient, field, chief
- freefree, freed, liberated, released, unchained
rampantcontrolled
Kept within limits
restrained · checked · contained · curbed · constrained
- run rampantSpread uncontrollably, flourish wildly
- on the rampageViolently out of control
- rampant lionHeraldic cat standing upright
- rampant escalationUncontrolled rapid increase