except when it's not
i don't think its negative, i just meant widespread.
no. look it up. it's used in negative connotations. Like how u wouldn't say joy is rampant, but it sounds alright when you say something like crime is rampant
from m-w.com. check def. 2b:
1 a : rearing upon the hind legs with forelegs extended
b : standing on one hind foot with one foreleg raised above the other and the head in profile -- used of a heraldic animal
2 a : marked by a menacing wildness, extravagance, or absence of restraint
b : WIDESPREAD
2 a : marked by a menacing wildness, extravagance, or absence of restraint