wander

verb wan·der \ ˈwän-dər \

|Updated on: 15 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: wander in a Sentence

Definition of wander

wandered; wandering play \ˈwän-d(ə-)riŋ\

intransitive verb

1 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 : meander

3 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

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wander

noun

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wanderer

play \ˈwän-dər-ər\ noun

See wander defined for English-language learners

See wander defined for kids

Examples of wander in a Sentence

I was just wandering around the house.
They wandered down the street.
Students were wandering the halls.
He wandered away from the trail and got lost.

Recent Examples of wander from the Web

One-third of the members join Spacious after just wandering by one.

— nellie bowles, The Seattle Times, "Sorry, power-lunchers — these tables are reserved for drop-in workers," 9 July 2018
One-third of the members join Spacious after just wandering by one.

— nellie bowles, New York Times, "Sorry, Power-Lunchers. These Tables Are Reserved for Drop-In Workers.," 8 July 2018
The bear had at least one cub found wandering outside the home, and it was taken to N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission’s orphan cub rehabilitation program.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "Bold bear chases family and their pets from home, then cleans out their refrigerator," 3 July 2018
While the male suspect and the officer have continued their cat-and-mouse chase, the female suspect has been wandering through the store.

— amy b wang, ajc, "Cameras capture every angle of Canadian couple's snack-throwing, ceiling-shattering arrest," 1 July 2018
The long distances between crossing points makes it all the more likely people will wander through Riverside’s streets on their way to the new concert venue.

— inga saffron, Philly.com, "Will a new riverfront concert venue close the gap between Fishtown and the Delaware - or widen it?," 28 June 2018
Astronomers say the comet may well have been wandering through our Milky Way galaxy, unattached to any star system, for hundreds of millions of years before its chance encounter with our own solar system.

— doyle rice, USA TODAY, "Weird visitor from outer space – 'Oumuamua – was a comet after all," 27 June 2018
Doctors determined that the wandering wart was actually a marauding parasite, likely transmitted by a mosquito bite on her trip.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Selfies show worm slithered through woman’s face for 2 weeks," 22 June 2018
One day, Chuck, who was working for a grocery chain, made a delivery to Keene State Teachers College (now Keene State College) in New Hampshire, and wandered over to the industrial arts building.

— anne m. hamilton, courant.com, "He Brought His Skill For Teaching, Knack For Colonial Buildings To Coventry," 15 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wander.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of wander

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

wander Synonyms

Synonyms

bat, cruise, drift, float, gad (about), gallivant (also galavant), kick around, knock (about), maunder, meander, mooch, ramble, range, roam, rove, traipse;

Related Words

amble, saunter, stroll;

dawdle, mope;

gypsy, hobo, tramp, vagabond;

mill (about or around);

straggle, stray;

Synonym Discussion of wander

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

WANDER Defined for English Language Learners

wander

verb

Definition of wander for English Language Learners

: to move around or go to different places usually without having a particular purpose or direction
: to follow a path with many turns
: to go away from a path, course, etc.

WANDER Defined for Kids

wander

verb wan·der \ ˈwän-dər \

Definition of wander for Students

wandered; wandering

1 : to move about without a goal or purpose : ramble

2 : to get off the right path or leave the right area : stray

“She would never wander far away alone … you know how timid she is.”
—Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea

3 : to lose concentration

My mind began to wander.

4 : to follow a winding course The path wanders through the woods.

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wanderer

noun

Synonym Discussion of wander

wander, roam, and ramble mean to move about from place to place without a reason or plan. wander is used for moving about without following a fixed course.