plural hoboes also hobos
1
often disparaging; see usage paragraph below
: a usually very poor person who has no permanent residence and travels from place to place especially by furtively hopping (see hop entry 1 sense transitive 2) trains
It should be noted that much of the discussion about the park … involved whether a fence needed to be built around the park to discourage the hobos and tramps, who traveled along the railroad, from taking up residence in the park.—
Kevin Dayhoff
Kevin Dayhoff
also
: a migrant worker
Hoboes travel across the country by hopping onto trains (although other modes of transportation are also acceptable), but crucially they work for their living, performing seasonal labor and taking on odd jobs. —Marguerite Happe
Marguerite Happe 2
or less commonly hobo bag
: a large shoulder bag shaped like a pouch
To punctuate the all-blue outfit, the actress slung on an unstructured, oversized suede hobo, a practical antidote to the current craze for fanny packs and mini bags.—Edward Barsamian
Edward Barsamian
Usage of Hobo
Hobo functions as a neutral or positive self-descriptor. In general use, it is sometimes used disparagingly, but frequently the term carries positive connotations from its association with an adventurous life that is free of obligation.
The hobo never knows what is going to happen the next moment; hence, he lives only in the present moment. He has learned the futility of telic endeavor, and knows the delight of drifting along with the whimsicalities of Chance.
—Jack London
Jack London
I imagined a hobo's life would be a fine thing. I would sleep in haystacks and do exactly what I wanted all the time.
—Matthew Power
Matthew Power
hoboed; hoboing; hobos
: to live or travel in the manner of a hobo
Examples of hobo in a Sentence
Noun
kind folks who always gave hoboes who came to the farm a meal and then sent them on their way
Recent Examples on the Web
Joelle Diderich, WWD, 19 Sep. 2024
There’s a lot to love about Coach’s viral shoulder bag: the modern hobo style, the soft leather, the distinct shape.
—Lindy Segal, Glamour, 13 Sep. 2024
The towering figure of a cheerful, cartoonish hobo was the mascot of a chain of Hobo Joe's Restaurants that were popular in the 1960s through the mid-1980s.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 2 Aug. 2024
More than that, by actually living on the trail, Jack became, arguably, something unique: a hobo ambassador who was the AT’s living, breathing, ambulating encyclopedia.
—Dan Koeppel, Outside Online, 5 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for hobo
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Noun
Extra hooks allow the bag to transform into a trapezoidal hobo shape.
—Joelle Diderich, WWD, 19 Sep. 2024
There’s a lot to love about Coach’s viral shoulder bag: the modern hobo style, the soft leather, the distinct shape.
—Lindy Segal, Glamour, 13 Sep. 2024
The towering figure of a cheerful, cartoonish hobo was the mascot of a chain of Hobo Joe's Restaurants that were popular in the 1960s through the mid-1980s.
—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 2 Aug. 2024
More than that, by actually living on the trail, Jack became, arguably, something unique: a hobo ambassador who was the AT’s living, breathing, ambulating encyclopedia.
—Dan Koeppel, Outside Online, 5 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for hobo
Cite this Entry
“Hobo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hobo. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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