ramblinglyadv.
/ˈramblɪŋli/, /ˈrambl̩ɪŋli/, U.S. /ˈræmb(ə)lɪŋli/ In a rambling manner.
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > copiousness > [adverb] > discursively or digressively
discursively1640
ramblinglya1641
digressively1731
digressingly1864
society > leisure > the arts > literature > style of language or writing > inelegance > [adverb] > disconnectedly
disjointly1621
ramblinglya1641
unconnectedly1778
disconnectedly1807
disjointedly1869
zigzaggedly1921
society > travel > aspects of travel > travel from place to place > [adverb] > in wandering manner
wilsomelyc1420
erroneously1528
vagrantly1547
gaddingly1552
wanderingly1552
roamingly1621
rovingly1664
excursively1791
ramblingly1855
a1641 R. Montagu Acts & Monuments (1642) 232 Our Lords kinsmen, of whom Africanus, Epiphanius, and the Jesuit talk so ramblingly.
1686 J. Goad Astro-meteorologica iii. ii. 422 All that I shall ramblingly note here.
1733 P. Shaw tr. F. Bacon Scala Intellectus in Philos. Wks. III. 453 They talk very ramblingly.
1782 J. Abercrombie Every Man his Own Gardener (ed. 9) 26 In pruning gooseberries, let them be always kept thin of branches, these not permitted to grow ramblingly across one another.
1825 Times 14 July 2/4 Mr. Chairman, I have talked ramblingly.
1855 Doran Queens of Eng. II. xi. 207 He..ran his fingers ramblingly over his harpsichord.
1882 J. W. Riley in Indianapolis Jrnl. 26 Aug. 12/1 He told me all—How, when a child, The Indians stole him—There he laughed..Then slowly winked both eyes, and smiled, And went on ramblingly,—‘And they—They reared me, and I ran away.’
1924 Modesto (Calif.) Evening News 19 Aug. 2/8 ‘Kid’ McCoy..mumbled ramblingly in his cell in a fashion which indicated insanity.
1995 M. Amis Information (1996) 378 It made him seem saner too, though, and he continued ramblingly, ‘Now they alternate them. Girl, boy. Boy, girl.’
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adv.a1641