Main Entry:

wan·der

Pronunciation:

\ˈwän-dər\

Function:

verb

Inflected Form(s):

wan·dered; wan·der·ing \-d(ə-)riŋ\

Etymology:

Middle English wandren, from Old English wandrian; akin to Middle High German wandern to wander, Old English windan to wind, twist

Date:

before 12th century

intransitive verb1 a: to move about without a fixed course, aim, or goal b: to go idly about : ramble <wandering around the house>2: to follow a winding course : meander3 a: to go astray (as from a course) : stray <wandered away from the group> b: to go astray morally : err c: to lose normal mental contact : stray in thought <his mind wandered>transitive verb: to roam over <wandered the halls>

— wander noun

— wan·der·er \-dər-ər\ noun

synonyms 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>.