wandering

1 of 2

adjective

wan·​der·​ing ˈwän-d(ə-)riŋ 

: characterized by aimless, slow, or pointless movement: such as

a

: that winds or meanders

a wandering course

b

: not keeping a rational or sensible course : vagrant

c

: nomadic

wandering tribes

d

of a plant : having long runners or tendrils

wandering

2 of 2

noun

1

: a going about from place to place

—often used in plural

2

: movement away from the proper, normal, or usual course or place

—often used in plural

Synonyms

Adjective

• desultory
• digressional
• digressionary
• digressive
• discursive
• excursive
• leaping
• maundering
• meandering
• rambling

Examples of wandering in a Sentence

Adjective

your decidedly wandering essay loses its punch—stick to one theme

a wandering carnival that visited small towns all over the South

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Love: Chi, The Spa Rest your wandering feet at the Shangri-La’s lower level spa, complete with a gardenside pool fit for royalty. —Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025

The film is narrated in the languages of the cultures the characters move through, as Burmese gives way to Thai, to Vietnamese, and beyond — a wandering, collective dream. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Mar. 2025

Noun

After a bit of wandering, the group moved toward a gate on the edge of the savanna. —Dewayne Bevil, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Apr. 2025

Forbes is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Eat Seattle Tours founder Liz Philpot was looking to explore neighborhoods beyond the highly popular wanderings around Pike Place Market and Pioneer Square. —Leslie Kelly, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing wandering

• wandering albatross
• wandering dude
• wandering eye

Rhymes for wandering

• laundering
• pondering
• squandering

Medical Definition

wandering

1 of 2 adjective

wan·​der·​ing ˈwän-də-riŋ 

: floating

a wandering spleen

wandering

2 of 2 noun

: movement of a tooth out of its normal position especially as a result of periodontal disease