Rampage

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈɹæmpeɪd͡ʒ/

Definitions

1. A violent and destructive course of action in which someone causes damage or harm while in an uncontrolled state of anger or fury
2. A period of violent, destructive behavior during which someone causes widespread damage while moving from place to place in an unrestrained and furious manner
3. A fit of violent and destructive behavior marked by uncontrolled anger, during which a person or animal causes widespread damage while moving through an area in a furious state

Etymology: "Rampage" comes from Scots, where "rampage" meant to rush about wildly or behave with unrestrained fury. It is built from "ramp," a verb meaning to rear up or rush forward, plus the suffix "-age," which in words like "pillage" and "voyage" turns an action into a noun or a state. The Scots word is what entered English, so the familiar sense of a violent, uncontrolled outburst is the older Scots idea carried south. The verb "ramp" has a more tangled ancestry. Middle English had "rampen," meaning to force or ram, which probably traces back to an Old English verb meaning to obstruct or hinder. Scholars treat this link as likely rather than certain, and it is possible the Scots word was also shaped by that older verb's sense of forceful pushing.

Synonyms: riot, outburst, frenzy, violence, mayhem

Antonyms: calm, peace, tranquility, order, restraint