meander

1 of 2

noun

me·​an·​der mē-ˈan-dər 

1

: a winding path or course

… the new path, which he supposed only to make a few meanders …

—Samuel Johnson

especially : labyrinth

2

: a turn or winding of a stream

The meander eventually became isolated from the main stream.

meandrous

mē-ˈan-drəs 

adjective

meander

2 of 2

verb

meandered; meandering mē-ˈan-d(ə-)riŋ 

intransitive verb

1

: to follow a winding or intricate course

… across the ceiling meandered a long crack.

—John Galsworthy

2

: to wander aimlessly or casually without urgent destination : ramble

… he meandered with the sightseers gawping at the boat people …

—John le Carré

Did you know?

[Meander] first meandered into the language in the late 16th century not as verb but as a noun referring to a turn or winding of a stream. The word came to English, by way of Latin, ultimately from Maiandros, the Greek name for a river known today as the Menderes River in what is now southwestern Turkey. The more popular verb use dates to the early 17th century and means both "to follow a winding or intricate course" and "to ramble." Despite its fluvial origins, these days meander is more commonly used to refer to a person's wandering course than a river's.

Synonyms of meander

Verb

• wander
• roam
• stroll
• drift

Choose the Right Synonym for meander

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 meander in a Sentence

Verb

The path meanders through the garden.

We meandered around the village.

The conversation meandered on for hours.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Narrow cobblestone laneways, pastel-hued shops, and footpaths meandering past stone houses with tiny backyard vineyards—and hardly other tourists in sight—lend a sense of discovery to daily strolls on this side of the lake. —Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026

Su’s compositions tend to meander and waver, more like the product of jam sessions than the grid on a computer screen, with melodies glitching, catching, and turning in unexpected directions. —Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026

The idea is to reduce wait times and eliminate the kind of meandering routes that often slowed trips under the old system. —Brian Unger, CBS News, 30 Apr. 2026

The short answer is that nobody knows if any of it—the Trojan War and Odysseus’s subsequent meandering homeward journey—was real. —Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Latin maeander, from Greek maiandros, from Maiandros (now Menderes), river in Asia Minor

First Known Use

Noun

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

circa 1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for meander

• brander
• candor
• dander
• gander
• grander
• hander
• laender
• lander
• pander
• sander
• slander
• stander

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Kids Definition

meander

1 of 2 noun

me·​an·​der mē-ˈan-dər 

1

: a turn or winding of a stream

2

: a winding path or course

meander

2 of 2 verb

meandered; meandering

-d(ə-)riŋ

1

: to follow a winding or complicated course

2

: to wander without a goal or purpose