rambunctious

[ ram-buhngk-shuh s ]
/ ræmˈbʌŋk ʃəs /

adjective

difficult to control or handle; wildly boisterous: a rambunctious child.
turbulently active and noisy: a social gathering that became rambunctious and out of hand.

Origin of rambunctious

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; origin uncertain

OTHER WORDS FROM rambunctious

ram·bunc·tious·ly, adverb ram·bunc·tious·ness, noun

Words nearby rambunctious

Example sentences from the Web for rambunctious

British Dictionary definitions for rambunctious

rambunctious
/ (ræmˈbʌŋkʃəs) /

adjective

informal boisterous; unruly

Derived forms of rambunctious

rambunctiously, adverb rambunctiousness, noun

Word Origin for rambunctious

C19: probably from Icelandic ram- (intensifying prefix) + -bunctious, from bumptious