meandering

[ mee-an-der-ing ]

adjective

1. taking a winding or indirect course:

   The city of Budapest is divided into two parts by the meandering Danube River, spanned by several stunning bridges.

2. wandering aimlessly; proceeding seemingly without direction; rambling:

   I'm unsure how I will condense a meandering narrative of my experiences into a thirty-second elevator pitch.

   Things proceed in a meandering way between them, until suddenly their relationship comes to a devastatingly emotional climax.

noun

1. the act of wandering or proceeding aimlessly or by a winding or indirect course:

   I digress—but I blame it on the mental meandering of age.

   After a coffee and some meandering among the displays on the hotel mezzanine, I left the convention.

Other Words From

• me·an·der·ing·ly adverb
• un·me·an·der·ing adjective
• un·me·an·der·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of meandering¹

First recorded in 1610–20; meander ( def ) + -ing ²( def ) for the adjective senses; meander ( def ) + -ing ¹( def ) for the noun sense

Example Sentences

Though conversational and often witty, his meandering phrases become increasingly unpredictable as they develop.

From The Daily Beast

If none of those options appeal to you, you might consider meandering over to a country with a different economic system.

From The Daily Beast

He was obsessed with detail and had a slow, meandering style.

From The Daily Beast

We watched her float about, a meandering frown, for two whole hours in the season premiere as she mourned the death of Matthew.

From The Daily Beast

And that makes for a meandering, challenging, non-escapist viewing.

From The Daily Beast

Our route next day through the narrow byways of Dorsetshire was a meandering one.

From Project Gutenberg

Of course, these caused more or less meandering, but in the end they came to a place where Tolly Tip raised a warning finger.

From Project Gutenberg

Moreover, an auxiliary stream was meandering over the table, making rapid progress towards the rose-coloured silk and white lace.

From Project Gutenberg

Some woollens are woven simply like linen; some are wide, some very narrow, sewn together in strips, woven in meandering designs.

From Project Gutenberg

The climate demands such, since the answer can be almost anything, a meandering spreading-of-weight kind of answer.

From Project Gutenberg