wander
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to ramble without a definite purpose or objective; roam, rove, or stray.
to wander over the earth.
-
to go aimlessly, indirectly, or casually; meander.
The river wanders among the rocks.
- Synonyms:
- saunter
-
to extend in an irregular course or direction.
Foothills wandered off to the south.
-
to move, pass, or turn idly, as the hand or the eyes.
-
(of the mind, thoughts, desires, etc.) to take one direction or another without conscious intent or control.
His attention wandered as the speaker droned on.
-
to stray from a path, place, companions, etc..
During the storm the ship wandered from its course.
-
to deviate in conduct, belief, etc.; err; go astray.
Let me not wander from Thy Commandments.
-
to think or speak confusedly or incoherently.
-
(of a person with a mental disorder or cognitive impairment) to move about or walk in a seemingly aimless or random manner.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
-
(also tr) to move or travel about, in, or through (a place) without any definite purpose or destination
-
to proceed in an irregular course; meander
-
to go astray, as from a path or course
-
(of the mind, thoughts, etc) to lose concentration or direction
-
to think or speak incoherently or illogically
noun
Other Word Forms
- outwander verb (used with object)
- wanderer noun
- wandering adjective
- wanderingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of wander
First recorded before 900; Middle English wandren, Old English wandrian “to wend repeatedly” (cognate with German wandern ), from wendan; wend
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Rapid-response teams—made up of locals riding motorcycles and armed with firecrackers and devices that spray chili-pepper irritants—try to steer wandering elephants back into protected areas.
A mountain lion seen wandering the streets of San Francisco over the weekend was finally spotted and captured early Tuesday.
From Los Angeles Times
Manning Beef made national headlines in 2021 when a small herd of cattle escaped through an open gate and went for a nighttime stroll, wandering more than a mile away into a residential neighborhood.
From Los Angeles Times
My mind wanders like this sometimes when I’m knitting.
From Literature
For a while we wander along unfamiliar streets, hearing words in Neapolitan, a language we can almost understand.
From Literature
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
