Arrant

/ˈær.ənt/

Meaning & Definition

adjective

Complete and utter; used for emphasis.

His behavior was arrant nonsense, lacking any sense of reason.

Absolutely bad; notoriously bad.

The movie was an arrant failure, receiving negative reviews from all critics.

Unqualified; downright.

She was accused of being an arrant liar, as she repeatedly told falsehoods.

Of the worst kind; egregious.

The proposal was deemed an arrant threat to the community, sparking widespread outrage.

Middle English, from Old French 'arrant' meaning 'present, in attendance.'

arrant nonsense

Utterly foolish or nonsensical behavior or ideas.

arrant scoundrel

A person who is completely dishonest or unscrupulous.

arrantly

In a manner that is complete or utter.

arrantness

The quality of being arrant.

A term to describe someone who is shamelessly bad or deceiving.

Don't trust them; they're just a pack of arrants.