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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Those two have scheduled meet and greets, but other characters like The Invisible Man and Ygor roam throughout Dark Universe. Eve Chen, USA Today, 26 May 2025 Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Also known as the Siberian tiger, the Amur tiger is the largest living cat in the world and primarily roams the Russian Far East, with a few straying into northeastern China. Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025 The refrigerator was not cold enough and two cats roamed the shop, violating state food code. Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 24 May 2025 Read Next California Suspected elusive predator caught on doorbell cameras roaming CA neighborhood. Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for roam

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

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Cite this Entry

“Roam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roam. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

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

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