saunter

verb

saun·​ter ˈsȯn-tər How to pronounce saunter (audio)
ˈsän-
sauntered; sauntering; saunters

intransitive verb

: to walk about in an idle or leisurely manner : stroll
sauntered slowly down the street
saunter noun
saunterer noun

Examples of saunter in a Sentence

They sauntered slowly down the street. He sauntered into the store.
Recent Examples on the Web Soon enough, a steady stream of influencers (executives in crisp shirts, fashion types in the latest Gucci) started to saunter in, and the restaurant was just as humming as the party boats. Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 16 Nov. 2023 Jane saunters back and forth, bobbing up and down, and gives guests a quizzical, skeptical look. Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 16 Nov. 2023 In another video, the lion sauntered down a sidewalk at night as a car drove past. Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023 In the dead of night in the southern Santa Cruz Mountains, a coyote and a badger sauntered out of a wildlife tunnel. Sean Mowbray, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2023 Pedestrians sauntered along a row of European flagship boutiques nestled in battlements of creamy limestone: Gucci, YSL, Prada, Louis Vuitton. Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2023 News media showed mountain goats on Welsh sidewalks, jackals in Tel Aviv, daytime raccoons sauntering through Central Park in New York City. Carl Safina, TIME, 5 Oct. 2023 Then Bernie sauntered in, wearing distressed leather pants and purple hair. Rob Tannenbaum, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2023 Struggling to embody a simple sound effect (Whoopi Goldberg in flat shoes, sauntering up to a bar) led her to a personal revelation. WIRED, 18 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saunter.' 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

probably from Middle English santren to muse

First Known Use

circa 1667, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saunter was circa 1667

Dictionary Entries Near saunter

Cite this Entry

“Saunter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saunter. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

saunter

verb
saun·​ter ˈsȯnt-ər How to pronounce saunter (audio)
ˈsänt-
: to walk along in an idle or leisurely manner : stroll
saunter noun
saunterer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on saunter

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!