vagrant 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of vagrantnext
as in nomadic
traveling from place to place bands of vagrant children in the streets of the impoverished city

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

vagrant

2 of 2

noun

ˈvā-grənt How to pronounce vagrant (audio)
1
as in beggar
a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living vagrants sleeping in cardboard boxes on the sidewalk

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in bum
an idle worthless person the vagrants who are a familiar sight at the city's bus terminal

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 vagrant
Adjective
Because of its rare appearance in the Northern Hemisphere, many birders are flocking to catch a glimpse of the vagrant gull. — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 July 2025 The vagrant bird could have wandered off course in search of other members of its species or it may have been displaced by extreme weather, ornithology experts told the outlet. — Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
One mask depicts a frowning hobo with a 5 o'clock shadow that represents the aforementioned vagrant. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Dec. 2025 Beggars and vagrants were a common sight. — Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vagrant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vagrant
  1. nomadic
  2. beggar
  3. bum
  4. nomad
  5. hobo
  6. tramp
  7. vagabond
  8. transient
Adjective
  • Soon the field may have dozens or hundreds of nomadic black holes to examine.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 29 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of nomadic
Noun
  • Robert Pattinson’s big outburst in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ has gone viral—here’s the ‘beggars’ meme, explained.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of beggar
Noun
  • In terms of consistency, there really is no bum track on this album.
    — David Harris, SPIN, 21 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of bum
Adjective
  • Dinners take place in traditional nomad tents around the communal fire pit, and range from steaming hot pots with yak meat, mushrooms and tofu to haute-Tibetan tasting menus with wild vegetables in corn foam, tsampa grissini, and lamb shoulder with yak yogurt glaze and salsa verde.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
  • New this season are nomad-style cooking workshops, starlit movies for younger campers, and sunrise hawk walks.
    — Katharina Kotrba, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of nomad
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
  • Plus, the police are looking for a tramp (David Wilmot) who lives in the forest nearby, and may know something about what happened to her.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
  • More than half a century into his imposingly prolific, restlessly searching career as a songwriter, Springsteen has fulfilled the prophecy he was born into as a young tramp.
    — New York Times, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Definition of tramp
Noun
  • His divorces ultimately left him scrambling for stability and turned him into a kind of moneyed vagabond, living out of suitcases.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 22 May 2026
  • Decades before his lens moved between nocturnal vagabonds in the East Village and names such as Diana Vreeland, William Burroughs, and Fran Lebowitz, the young man realized the power of his eye.
    — Osman Can Yerebakan, Air Mail, 2 May 2026
Definition of vagabond
Noun
  • That exposure is exactly why direct trauma there produces an acute, transient, shock-like jolt rather than an ordinary bruise-type ache.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • He was released from prison in California in 2023, according to the registry, and he is listed as being a transient in Sacramento.
    — Margaret Baker, Sacbee.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of transient

Browse Nearby Words

vagrancy
vagrant
vagrants
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vagrant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vagrant. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on vagrant

Nglish: Translation of vagrant for Spanish Speakers

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!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All