Synonyms

wandering

American

[won-der-ing] / ˈwɒn dər ɪŋ /

adjective

moving from place to place without a fixed plan; roaming; rambling.

Crowds of wandering tourists crossed the square.
having no permanent residence; nomadic.

They were historically a wandering people, moving seasonally through the area.
meandering; winding.

They followed a wandering path down the mountain.

noun

an aimless roving about; leisurely traveling from place to place.

For our honeymoon we had a period of delightful wandering through Italy.
Usually wanderings.
1. aimless travels; meanderings.
  
  Her wanderings took her all over the world.
2. disordered thoughts or utterances; incoherencies.
  
  mental wanderings;
  the wanderings of delirium.
seemingly aimless or random movement from one place to another by a person with a mental or cognitive disability or impairment.

Wandering by Alzheimer’s patients is a problem in nursing homes.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of wandering

First recorded before 1000; Middle English (noun, adjective), Old English wandrigende (adjective); see wander ( def. ), -ing ² ( def. ), -ing ¹ ( def. )

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.

Wandering around the Stade de France two hours before kick-off, an England fan stopped to give his take to the BBC Sport live text.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Wandering through the area, book in hand, I sought out places like Stoll’s Alley to admire Simmons’s wrought-iron gates.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

Puglisi, owner of Wandering Mojave Hiking Services, said his business is down at least 25% compared with November of last year.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

A blockbuster set in the world of Liu’s short story “The Wandering Earth” broke domestic box office records and spawned two sequels; however, it saw limited distribution and mixed reviews abroad.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 28, 2024

“I’ve seen that two-headed snake before. During my own castings while I was away in the Wandering Isles. It’s why I cut my trip short and announced my return.”

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023