arrant

comparative more arrant · comparative arranter · superlative most arrant · superlative arrantest · alternative errant

1. datedComplete; downright; utter.

   an arrant knave    arrant nonsense

   5 more examples

   And if any manner of perſon attempted to moue the King to infringe any parte of thys ordynaunce, and that being knowne, for the firſt time, he ſhould be depriued of his goodes and poſſeſſions, and for the ſecond time, to be drawen thorough the Citie, and so put to execution as an arrant traytor.

   1569, Richard Grafton, “Richarde the Seconde”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey Toye, →OCLC, page 351

   To a Nunnery goe, vve are arrant knaues all, / Beleeue none of vs, to a Nunnery goe.

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shake-speare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and Iohn Trundell, published 1603, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]

   She bags of Gold out of her boſome drevv, / VVhich ſhe to Sots and arrant Ideots threvv.

   1630, Michael Drayton, “The Legend of Robert, Duke of Normandy”, in Poems: […], London: […] Willi[am] Stansby for Iohn Smethwicke, →OCLC, page 355

   He cals her on a ſudden, all to naught; ſhe is a ſtrumpet, a light huswife, a bitch, an arrant whore.

   1638, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Symptomes of Iealousie, Fear, Sorrow, Suspition, Strange Actions, Gestures, Outrages, Locking Up, Oathes, Trials, Lawes, &c.”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy. […], 5th edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] [Robert Young, Miles Flesher, and Leonard Lichfield and William Turner] for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 3, section 3, member 2, subsection 1, page 610

   There be, vvho knovvs not that there be of Proteſtants and profeſſors vvho live and dye in as arrant an implicit faith, as any lay Papiſt of Loretto.

   1644, John Milton, Areopagitica; a Speech of Mr. John Milton for the Liberty of Unlicenc’d Printing, to the Parlament of England, London: [s.n.], →OCLC, page 26

   Synonyms: out-and-out, unmitigated, abject, frightful, absolute, prize, clean, categoric

2. broadlydatedVery bad; despicable.

   [W]ho ſo forward to accuſe, to debaſe, to revile, to crow-treade an other as the arranteſt fellow in a country?

   1593, Gabriell Haruey [i.e., Gabriel Harvey], Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. A Preparative to Certaine Larger Discourses, Intituled Nashes S. Fame, London: […] Iohn Wolfe, →OCLC; republished as John Payne Collier, editor, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse. […] (Miscellaneous Tracts. Temp. Eliz. & Jac. I; no. 8), [London]: [s.n.], [1870], →OCLC, page 9

   1 more example

   The truth on't is, mine's as arrant a VVidow-Mother, to her poor Child, as any's in Engand: She vvo'nt ſo much as let one have ſix-pence in one's Pocket, to ſee a Motion, or the Dancing of the Ropes, or—

   1676 December 11 (first performance), [William] Wycherley, The Plain-Dealer. A Comedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for James Magnes and Rich[ard] Bentley […], published 1677, →OCLC, Act III, page 46

   Synonyms: abysmal, atrocious, awful, bad, chronic, coarse, corny, crap · Antonyms: acceptable, agreeable, all right, amazing, as fine as Dick's hatband, awesome, beatific, bene

3. obsoleteObsolete form of errant (“roving around; wandering”).

   Hence arrant preachers, humming out / A common-place or two, […]

   1586, William Warner, “Albion’s England”, in The Works of the English Poets, from Chaucer to Cowper; […], volume IV, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson [et al.], published 1810, →OCLC, book VIII, chapter XLVI, page 610

plural Arrants

1. A surname.