Home › Glossary › Letter R

rant

Archaic Terms
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To speak wildly, loudly, or extravagantly in anger or excitement; to deliver bombastic, theatrical speeches; as a noun, a tirade or passionate declamation.

Detailed Definition
“Rant” conveys theatrical excess—preachers rant, lovers rant. In poetry, it critiques false passion or hollow rhetoric. The term’s sharpness suits mockery. Poets use it to explore authenticity versus performance, where ranting reveals insecurity or manipulates, reinforcing themes of sincerity, restraint, and linguistic ethics in satirical and reflective verse.
Example
Example in poetry:
“He ranted like a madman on the stage,” in a critique of excess; In satirical verse: “The rant of false prophets”; “She ranted against injustice, and moved the crowd”; “Rant not, but reason,” advises the sage; “His rant was thunder without rain”; The poet’s rant shook the court’s complacency.
Additional Notes
“Rant” critiques bombastic speech as hollow; in satires of pulpit or stage, ranters “tear a passion to tatters,” exposing performance divorced from genuine feeling or reason.
Also Known As
ranting bluster bombast
Skip to main content