roam

verb

roamed; roaming; roams

intransitive verb

1
: to go from place to place without purpose or direction : wander
2
: to travel purposefully unhindered through a wide area
cattle roaming in search of water
3
: to use a cellular phone outside one's local calling area
roaming charges

transitive verb

: to range or wander over
roam noun
roamer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for roam

wander, roam, ramble, rove, traipse, meander mean to go about from place to place usually without a plan or definite purpose.

wander implies an absence of or an indifference to a fixed course.

fond of wandering about the square just watching the people

roam suggests wandering about freely and often far afield.

liked to roam through the woods

ramble stresses carelessness and indifference to one's course or objective.

the speaker rambled on without ever coming to the point

rove suggests vigorous and sometimes purposeful roaming.

armed brigands roved over the countryside

traipse implies a course that is erratic but may sometimes be purposeful.

traipsed all over town looking for the right dress

meander implies a winding or intricate course suggestive of aimless or listless wandering.

the river meanders for miles through rich farmland

Examples of roam in a Sentence

The cattle roamed in search of water. Goats roam free on the mountain. He roamed about in search of work. The chickens are able to roam around freely in the farmyard. We roamed around town for a while before dinner. She liked to roam through the woods.
Recent Examples on the Web These bears are adaptable and can be spotted roaming through forests, swamps and, sometimes, even suburban areas. Scott Travers, Forbes, 26 Oct. 2024 At least 30 million roamed the western United States in 1800; by 1890, 60 million head of cattle had taken their place. Hannah Cutting-Jones, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2024 Also on-site, there's axe-throwing, food and drinks, a photo booth, burn barrels and roaming line entertainment. Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2024 If the lions were roaming far and wide, that finding would support historical accounts that the duo temporarily left the railway camp for roughly six months before returning and continuing to eat the workers. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for roam 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English romen

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of roam was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near roam

Cite this Entry

“Roam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roam. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

roam

verb
1
: to go or go over from place to place without a plan
roam the hills
cattle roaming in search of water
2
: to use a cell phone outside one's local calling area
roamer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on roam

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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