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:
Whereas once Infantino looked set to saunter to a fourth term unopposed, he now might need to have enough numbers on his side to stay in post.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026
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
Picking one up on my walk home has become a little ritual — cold bottle, hot face, slow saunter.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2025
Chris Smith didn’t just saunter into his position as director of equipment operations for the Chargers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2024
He did not look so elegant here in a pair of grease-stained coveralls, but he walked in the same easy saunter.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
Less than three minutes pass before someone whispers “There she is!” as Maple saunters into the clearing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
The man in the surveillance footage has a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a straw hat shielding his face as he saunters along a Las Vegas sidewalk.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2022
It’s a one-man show of sorts, with George joined by a three-person backing band as he muses on corporate America and saunters through Lipton’s bluesy songbook.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 7, 2022
Hovering above Westlake Park, a giant silver figure saunters in place, her hips and belly swelling and contracting as ribbons of red and black swirl up and down her body.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2022
Safer saunters out of the kitchen, sipping a bottle of water.
From "Liar & Spy" by Rebecca Stead
Philadelphia’s Edmundo Sosa sauntered out of the box, motioning with one hand in a pump-wave in front of 51,794 Dodgers fans.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
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
He tilted his cap toward his ear, then sauntered away through the yard.
From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon
They played surveillance footage they said showed Robinson sauntering through campus, buying and eating Chick-Fil-A and even interacting with representatives from Kirk's Turning Point USA organisation.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
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
Once, it was found sauntering across Hazeltine Avenue, about a quarter mile from home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2023
She let out a grunt and charged, running right up to Bruiser, who was sauntering by.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2023
“Lighten up, Stella,” I say, sauntering to the door.
From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
