1
as in beggars
a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living
vagrants sleeping in cardboard boxes on the sidewalk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in bums
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 vagrants
Indeed, a study of early 19th-century court records found that in Philadelphia, nearly half of those convicted as vagrants were African American — a figure wildly disproportionate to the city’s minority Black population.
—
Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Not long ago, vagrants stole my sister’s bikes.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
Not long ago, vagrants stole my sister’s bikes.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 19 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vagrants
Noun
-
In the old days beggars were drawn and quartered in that square.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
In Havana, beggars are ubiquitous.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The level of luxury she’s introduced with Barracuda is a stark contrast to the humbler quarters generally associated with backpackers and itinerant surf bums, which still make up the majority of Itacaré’s lodging options.—
David Amsden,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
-
With both travel and programming budgets under pressure, all markets have to make a strong case to get buyer and seller bums on seats (or, more accurately, into screening booths and meeting rooms).—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The former, in which Burnett and Hamilton did a song-and-dance routine as Dust Bowl-era hobos, marked the first of several times that the two performed together.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
-
From oversized, slouchy hobos to structured East-West silhouettes and laptop-ready work totes, this season’s best suede bags deliver a luxurious polish that will elevate every fall wardrobe.—
Lauren Alexis Fisher,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Help, of course, isn’t coming—not over the Indian Ocean, not in the nursing home, not on the tramps’ moonlit road.—
Helen Shaw,
New Yorker,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Once per act, a second duo crashes in on Didi and Gogo, providing the tramps’ power balance with a lurid, distended foil.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Vagrants.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vagrants. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share