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Synonyms

meander

1 American  
[mee-an-der] / miˈæn dər /

verb (used without object)

  1. to proceed by or take a winding or indirect course.

    The stream meandered through the valley.
    Synonyms:
    coil, snake, twist, wind, wander

  2. to wander aimlessly; ramble.

    The talk meandered on.

verb (used with object)

  1. Surveying. to define the margin of (a body of water) with a meander line.

noun

  1. Usually meanders. turnings or windings; a winding path or course.

  2. a circuitous movement or journey.

  3. an intricate variety of fret or fretwork.

Meander 2 American  
[mee-an-der] / miˈæn dər /

noun

  1. ancient name of the Menderes.

meander 1 British  
/ mɪˈændə /

verb

  1. to follow a winding course

  2. to wander without definite aim or direction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. (often plural) a curve or bend, as in a river

  2. (often plural) a winding course or movement

  3. an ornamental pattern, esp as used in ancient Greek architecture

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Meander 2 British  
/ miːˈændə /

noun

  1. a variant spelling of Maeander

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
meander Scientific  
/ mē-ăn′dər /

  1. A sinuous curve, bend, or loop along the course of a stream or river.

Other Word Forms

  • meanderer noun
  • meandering adjective
  • meanderingly adverb
  • meandrous adjective

Etymology

Origin of meander

1570–80; < Latin maeander < Greek maíandros a winding, special use of Maíandros, the Menderes River, noted for its winding course

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.

There are less rules outside, fewer boundaries: coffee dates prolong, walks meander, thoughts digress.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

So every weekend, Disler and her girlfriend have an “adventure day” where they meander around a different neighborhood.

From Salon • Nov. 22, 2025

The novels meander discursively through time, so it does not matter where one begins.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 23, 2025

“The way she flows and wanders and her melodies meander — I was massively inspired by that when ‘CTRL’ came out,” Young says of SZA’s 2017 LP.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2025

“Then by all means, meander slowly and ponderously until my feathers molt,” said Boo.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

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.