wander

[won-der]

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.

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

/ 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

noun

1. the act or an instance of wandering

Other Word Forms

• wandering adjective
• wanderer noun
• wanderingly adverb
• outwander verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of wander¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wandren, Old English wandrian “to wend repeatedly” (cognate with German wandern ), from wendan; wend

Word History and Origins

Origin of wander¹

Old English wandrian; related to Old Frisian wandria, Middle Dutch, Middle High German wanderen

Example Sentences

The puppet world is in the midst of a crisis, torn over whether humans should be allowed to wander the fictional street of Appleseed Avenue.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He also wandered into Assembly Hall and told the Hoosier crowd that he “never took a back seat to anybody,” and that in-state rival Purdue does something that rhymes with “trucks.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He gets distracted and accidentally hits a wandering dog.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Mind wandering refers to moments when attention drifts away from what a person is doing and turns inward to self-generated thoughts.

Read more on Science Daily

My mind wanders to Auguste Rodin’s “The Thinker,” juggling imagination, judgment and problem solving.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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