wander

American  

[won-der] / ˈwɒn dər /

verb (used without object)

1. to ramble without a definite purpose or objective; roam, rove, or stray.

   to wander over the earth.

   Synonyms:

   stroll, range

2. to go aimlessly, indirectly, or casually; meander.

   The river wanders among the rocks.

   Synonyms:

   saunter

3. to extend in an irregular course or direction.

   Foothills wandered off to the south.

4. to move, pass, or turn idly, as the hand or the eyes.

5. (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.

6. to stray from a path, place, companions, etc..

   During the storm the ship wandered from its course.

   Synonyms:

   veer, swerve

7. to deviate in conduct, belief, etc.; err; go astray.

   Let me not wander from Thy Commandments.

8. to think or speak confusedly or incoherently.

   Synonyms:

   rave, ramble

9. (of a person with a mental disorder or cognitive impairment) to move about or walk in a seemingly aimless or random manner.

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verb (used with object)

1. to travel about, on, or through.

   He wandered the streets.

noun

1. Mechanics. the drift of a gyroscope or a similar device.

wander British  

/ ˈwɒndə /

verb

1. (also tr) to move or travel about, in, or through (a place) without any definite purpose or destination

2. to proceed in an irregular course; meander

3. to go astray, as from a path or course

4. (of the mind, thoughts, etc) to lose concentration or direction

5. to think or speak incoherently or illogically

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noun

1. the act or an instance of wandering

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; see wend

Explanation

The verb wander describes something that has lost track. If you're watching a boring movie, your mind might begin to wander. If you don't have a clear goal, you could wander too — meaning you drift aimlessly. When you wander mentally, your thoughts get lost. And when you wander physically, you don't have a destination, so it's also possible to lose your bearings and not know where you are — or how to get back. That's why wander is also used to describe someone who drifts from place to place or job to job without a sense of direction or purpose.

Example Sentences

Wander through Sundance Square, dip into a bar or two if that’s your thing, and don’t be surprised if your trip ends up feeling packed — in the best way — even midweek.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Wander around the re-created Civil War battlefields, or sign up for any one of the numerous official ghost tours of the city.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 27, 2025

AI is also being used to design certain items for Stitch Fix’s private-label brands including Montgomery Post and We Wander, which cuts design time down to weeks from months.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 22, 2025

Josh Wander, 44, lied and used fake financial documents to inflate the finances of 777, according to Manhattan federal prosecutors in the United States.

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2025

Wander any graveyard long enough and you will find it—waterstained and bulging, with cracked or broken stone, scraggly grass or rank weeds about it, and a feeling, when you reach it, of abandonment.

From "The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Related Words

• amble
• cruise
• drift
• float
• hike
• meander
• ramble
• roam
• saunter
• straggle
• stray
• stroll
• traipse
• trek