vagabond 1 of 3

noun

ˈva-gə-ˌbänd How to pronounce vagabond (audio)
Definition of vagabondnext
1
as in hobo
a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living be wary of the vagabonds in that corner of the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in nomad
a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination after they retired, the couple bought an RV and became footloose vagabonds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

vagabond

2 of 3

adjective

as in nomadic
traveling from place to place a vagabond group of entertainers that performed in rough-and-tumble mining towns

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

vagabond

3 of 3

verb

as in to tramp

Related Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of vagabond
Noun
Long the purview of vagabond surfers, its coastline is peppered with small towns, like Venao, Guanico, and Cambutal, that are in various stages of being reshaped by bohemian expats. — David Amsden, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2025 There are no talking-head interviews putting addiction into a moral context, nor are there romanticized vagabonds. — Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Dec. 2025
Adjective
The coaches are no different—and have been vagabond for longer. — Max Olson, The Athletic, 12 July 2024 There are records of albatrosses spending decades living as vagabond singletons in the wrong hemisphere, Lees said. — Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2021
Verb
The jam band scene – long reigned over by groups like the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band – exploded in the Nineties as newer artists like Phish and Widespread Panic began filling arenas and fomenting their own rabid vagabonding fanbases. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025 In 1978, Wenner sold the magazine to Larry Burke, a young man from Chicago who had spent a chunk of his twenties vagabonding around Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vagabond
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vagabond
  1. hobo
  2. nomad
  3. nomadic
  4. tramp
  5. beggar
  6. wanderer
  7. bum
  8. traveler
Noun
  • The slouchy silhouette is ideal for anyone who appreciates the hobo bag look.
    — Mia McManus, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
  • Per usual with movies like this, spelling out the terror (the roots are in hobo codes and religious legend) becomes, regrettably, a shock absorber, not a facilitator.
    — Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 22 May 2026
Definition of hobo
Noun
  • View gallery - 7 images With its substantial size and lack of wheels or trailer, the Evergreen XL isn't a good fit for would-be nomads.
    — Adam Williams July 12, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • The titular nomad needed, perhaps, an actor with a little more mischief and roguishness to sell his transformation from conman to folk hero (Harrison Ford, 55 at the time, may have been a good alternative).
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026
Definition of nomad
Adjective
  • Explore the dunes on a Bactrian camel and visit a local nomadic family to learn more about life in the Gobi and the traditions that continue to shape the region.
    — Undraa Buyannemekh, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2026
  • The off-grid lodge was founded by Angela Lankford and her Tibetan husband, Djarga, a local expert on nomadic heritage.
    — Emese Maczko, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of nomadic
Verb
  • Days or weeks passed, but then the dog barked, the mail carrier tramped onto the porch, the mailbox clattered.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
  • The pair’s snow boots tramped the nearly week-old Kansas City snow, two candles clutched in their small hands.
    — Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2026
Definition of tramp
Noun
  • Antinous shocked even the other suitors by insulting and assaulting an elderly beggar; when the beggar revealed himself as Odysseus and slew the suitors, Antinous was the first to die.
    — Gitanjali Roy, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 July 2026
  • At the train station, a beggar was sleeping soundly on a bench.
    — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
Definition of beggar
Noun
  • For the wanderers Saint-Tropez rewards the curious as much as the party crowd—and the best way to explore is entirely on your own terms.
    — Karli Poliziani, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026
  • Weston loved to ‘embed himself in different cultures’ Weston’s mother, Nancy Higginbotham, described him as an ardent protector of the environment and a wanderer who loved to travel and enjoy nature.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
Definition of wanderer
Noun
  • The Coliseum stayed in business for 500 years, bums in seats twice a week, watching people hack each other to death.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
  • Sometimes there is a fine line between being a hero or a bum, but Dave has been able to negotiate that line, because players trust him, and the players know that Dave cares about them and their families.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 July 2026
Definition of bum
Noun
  • Readers cast 661,000 votes this year for their favorite cities, airlines, hotels and more, with editors describing the rankings as a snapshot of places resonating with travelers today.
    — Kimberly Tutuska, Charlotte Observer, 22 July 2026
  • At the same time, the State Department has said American travelers should not go to Haiti and supported the deployment of an international task force sent to suppress gangs in Haiti.
    — Jay Weaver July 22, Miami Herald, 22 July 2026
Definition of traveler

Browse Nearby Words

vacuums
vagabond
vagabonded
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Cite this Entry

“Vagabond.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vagabond. Accessed 25 Jul. 2026.

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