saunter
Americanverb
noun
-
a leisurely pace or stroll
-
a leisurely old-time dance
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
sauntersimple
-
saunterssimple
-
have saunteredperfect
-
has saunteredperfect
-
am saunteringprogressive
-
are saunteringprogressive
-
is saunteringprogressive
-
have been saunteringperfect progressive
-
has been saunteringperfect progressive
Past
-
saunteredsimple
-
had saunteredperfect
-
was saunteringprogressive
-
were saunteringprogressive
-
had been saunteringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of saunter
First recorded in 1660–70; of uncertain origin
Explanation
To saunter is to stroll at a leisurely pace. The next time someone accuses you of dragging your feet and asks you to speed it up, calmly tell them that you’re perfecting your saunter. A verb of unconfirmed origin, saunter means to “walk with a leisurely gait.” As a noun, saunter describes that leisurely gait. Henry David Thoreau once said “it is a great art to saunter.” So while crossing a busy street may not be the best time to test out your sauntering abilities, feel free to practice when you're not in a hurry.
Vocabulary lists containing saunter
Touching Spirit Bear
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
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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.
See Examples For:
In the morning—before my aching knee and bulging blisters relegated my saunter to a limp—a 32-mile walk around Manhattan sounded like a good way to spend the first Saturday in May.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
I’ve felt my heart stop, swearing I caught a glimpse of my long-dead cat saunter by, out of the corner of my eye.
From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2025
The 37-year-old former England scrum-half turned provider at the end of the first half, a lovely delayed pass allowing Dombrandt to saunter in for the third try.
From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2024
Although the popularity of the park has grown over the 30 years we’ve walked our loop, we saunter through quietly, savoring our own beloved ritual.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 1, 2023
I keep watching for the sandy-haired man to come around the bend, saunter down Main Street to challenge Caesar.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
But the cat is so busy chasing its tail, the mouse saunters away and curls up for a nap.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
Jane saunters back and forth, bobbing up and down, and gives guests a quizzical, skeptical look.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 16, 2023
Even as the harmony develops and mutates, Stewart saunters along, his bass keeping the song in a steady rhythmic pocket.
From New York Times ● Feb. 1, 2023
Depp saunters away from the tree, in the direction of another.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 9, 2022
Just then, balancing a Styrofoam cup full of jiggling red Jell-O in his right hand and a cup full of wobbling green Jell-O in his left, Clint Hammond saunters to our table.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
Days before plundering Borel’s wine cellar, the two are believed to have sauntered into Huso, a Michelin-starred Tribeca restaurant that has been celebrated for its collection of bottles, according to a law-enforcement official.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
The Knicks led by as many as 52 points at one stage in the fourth quarter as they sauntered to victory thanks to a blistering 26-point cameo off the bench from Jose Alvarado.
From Barron's ● Feb. 12, 2026
It was left to Feinberg-Mngomezulu to demonstrate that clinical edge as he sauntered over for his second score before locks Nortje and Etzebeth crossed.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025
Argentina demonstrated a more ruthless edge as player-of-the-match Prisciantelli sauntered over for his second score.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2025
Giggling, she shook his hand and sauntered away, the fringe of her dress whispering against the floorboards.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Sure, no one is stopping anyone from sauntering into their local grocery store dressed to the nines in faux fur and pumps.
From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2025
He was the only person in the stream of workers sauntering out of the house who was willing to be interviewed in English, mostly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 9, 2025
She let out a grunt and charged, running right up to Bruiser, who was sauntering by.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2023
From sauntering the sidelines in Balenciaga sweaters and fresh-out-of-the-box Jordans to embracing a fast brand of basketball, the shift has been undeniable.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 10, 2022
I look up to see one of the huge cows sauntering closer to us.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
