wan·der (w n d r)v. wan·dered, wan·der·ing, wan·ders v.intr.1. To move about without a definite destination or purpose. 2. To go by an indirect route or at no set pace; amble: wander toward town. 3. To proceed in an irregular course; meander. 4. To go astray: wander from the path of righteousness. 5. To lose clarity or coherence of thought or expression. v.tr. To wander across or through: wander the forests and fields. n. The act or an instance of wandering; a stroll.
[Middle English wanderen, from Old English wandrian.]
wan der·er n. wan der·ing·ly adv. Synonyms: wander, ramble, roam, rove1, range, meander, stray, gallivant, gad1 These verbs mean to move about at random or without destination or purpose. Wander and ramble stress the absence of a fixed course or goal: wandered down the hall lost in thought. "They would go off together, rambling along the river" John Galsworthy. Roam and rove emphasize freedom of movement, often over a wide area: "Herds of horses and cattle roamed at will over the plain" George W. Cable. "For ten long years I roved about, living first in one capital, then another" Charlotte Brontë. Range suggests wandering in all directions: "a large hunting party known to be ranging the prairie" Francis Parkman. Meander suggests leisurely wandering over an irregular or winding course: "He meandered to and fro . . . observing the manners and customs of Hillport society" Arnold Bennett. Stray refers to deviation from a proper course: "I ask pardon, I am straying from the question" Oliver Goldsmith. Gallivant refers to wandering in search of pleasure: gallivanted all over the city during our visit. Gad suggests restlessness: gadded about unaccompanied in foreign places. |
wander Verb 1. to walk about in a place without any definite purpose or destination 2. (often foll. by off)to leave a place where one is supposed to stay: kids wander off 3. (of the mind) to lose concentration Noun the act or an instance of wandering [Old English wandrian] wanderer n wandering adjn
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms | Verb | 1. | wander - move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment; "The gypsies roamed the woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from one town to the next"; "They rolled from town to town"rove, stray, roam, vagabond, swan, ramble, range, drift, tramp, cast, roll go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" drift, err, stray - wander from a direct course or at random; "The child strayed from the path and her parents lost sight of her"; "don't drift from the set course" wander - go via an indirect route or at no set pace; "After dinner, we wandered into town" | | 2. | wander - be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage; "She cheats on her husband"; "Might her husband be wandering?"two-time - carry on a romantic relationship with two people at the same time | | 3. | wander - go via an indirect route or at no set pace; "After dinner, we wandered into town"rove, stray, roam, vagabond, wander, swan, ramble, range, drift, tramp, cast, roll - move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment; "The gypsies roamed the woods"; "roving vagabonds"; "the wandering Jew"; "The cattle roam across the prairie"; "the laborers drift from one town to the next"; "They rolled from town to town" meander, thread, wind, wander, weave - to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course; "the river winds through the hills"; "the path meanders through the vineyards"; "sometimes, the gout wanders through the entire body" go forward, proceed, continue - move ahead; travel onward in time or space; "We proceeded towards Washington"; "She continued in the direction of the hills"; "We are moving ahead in time now" | | 4. | wander - to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course; "the river winds through the hills"; "the path meanders through the vineyards"; "sometimes, the gout wanders through the entire body"go, locomote, move, travel - change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically; "How fast does your new car go?"; "We travelled from Rome to Naples by bus"; "The policemen went from door to door looking for the suspect"; "The soldiers moved towards the city in an attempt to take it before night fell"; "news travelled fast" snake - move along a winding path; "The army snaked through the jungle" wander - go via an indirect route or at no set pace; "After dinner, we wandered into town" | | 5. | wander - lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking; "She always digresses when telling a story"; "her mind wanders"; "Don't digress when you give a lecture"tell - let something be known; "Tell them that you will be late" |
wander verb 1. roam, walk, drift, stroll, range, cruise, stray, ramble, prowl, meander, rove, straggle, traipse ( informal) mooch around ( slang) stravaig Scot., Northern English ( dialect) knock about or around, peregrinate
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