- Today's Word
Rambunctious
[ram-BUNK-shus]
Definition
- (adjective) A word that describes someone or something that is energetic, boisterous, and difficult to control. It often refers to a person, especially a child, who is full of enthusiasm and tends to be overly active or unruly
Example
The substitute teacher had her hands full with the rambunctious group of second-graders, who seemed more interested in running around the classroom than listening to the lesson.
Fun Fact
The word “rambunctious” first appeared in American English in the early 19th century, likely as a combination of the words “ram,” meaning to act with force or violence, and “rumbustious,” an older word meaning boisterous or unruly. The term quickly gained popularity as a way to describe lively, energetic, and sometimes uncontrollable behavior, particularly in children and young animals. Interestingly, while “rambunctious” is often used to describe behavior that is seen as disruptive or challenging, it can also have a positive connotation, implying a sense of enthusiasm, curiosity, and zest for life that, when channeled appropriately, can lead to great things.
(verb) To criticize someone or something severely and publicly, often with harsh or scathing language.
The columnist excoriated the company’s leadership for ignoring repeated safety warnings.
Excoriate comes from the Latin excoriare, meaning “to strip off the skin,” from ex- (“off”) and corium (“hide” or “skin”). While the word originally described physical abrasion, its meaning shifted metaphorically over time to describe verbal attacks so harsh they feel skin-deep, leaving nothing protected.