mosey
Americanverb (used without object)
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moseys,
present (3rd person singular)
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moseyed,
past participle, past
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moseying
present participle
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to wander or shuffle about leisurely; stroll; saunter (often followed by along, about, etc.).
-
to leave quickly; decamp.
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
moseysimple
-
moseyssimple
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have moseyedperfect
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has moseyedperfect
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am moseyingprogressive
-
are moseyingprogressive
-
is moseyingprogressive
-
have been moseyingperfect progressive
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has been moseyingperfect progressive
Past
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moseyedsimple
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had moseyedperfect
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was moseyingprogressive
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were moseyingprogressive
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had been moseyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mosey
An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; origin uncertain
Explanation
When you mosey, you stroll along in no particular hurry. You might mosey down the street to the town pool on a hot summer day. People mosey when they're in no rush to get where they're going. You're more likely to mosey over to the book store on a Saturday than you are to mosey to work when you're running late. The verb mosey is early-1800s American slang with an uncertain origin. Some experts think it comes from the British slang mose, "to go about in a dull, stupid way," while others see a connection to the Spanish vamos, or "let us go."
Vocabulary lists containing mosey
Bunnicula
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The Color of Water
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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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:
Through the diner’s large front-facing windows, we watched a cowboy mosey past on his horse, checking out the variety of vehicles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
There are already plenty of places in the capital where a mosey around merely needs a mouse.
From BBC ● Nov. 8, 2023
We relaxed in the Adirondack chairs on the deck, watching deer mosey through the back lawn and played Candyland in the lobby while snacking on fries and hummus platters.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 30, 2023
We wring our hands like maiden aunts as they mosey blithely into danger: What could possibly go wrong in this cobwebbed basement/cabin in the woods/polygamist doomsday cult?
From New York Times ● May 25, 2023
“I reckon it wouldn’t. Now, you got any more questions, or can we mosey on about our business?”
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
Ringo Starr moseys up to the restaurant at the Sunset Marquis in a spotless white cowboy hat and matching white denim jacket.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2024
Tim, an African spurred tortoise, moseys near the rabbit hutch.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 8, 2023
In other words, what could have been a taut, gripping, emotional story ends up being diluted by a surrounding narrative that meanders and moseys to the point of irrelevance.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 12, 2021
She moseys, she circles, she lies in wait.
From New York Times ● Oct. 13, 2020
The doctor, he nods to Sam, and Sam moseys along toward the church.
From Danny's Own Story by Don Marquis
All that is to say, when Black moseyed into a Bluesky hornet’s nest about the upcoming HBO “Harry Potter” series, I honestly think he underestimated how much he’d get stung.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026
That afternoon, I tagged along with Kaylee Aleu, 19, and Chloe Wangensteen, 21, as they moseyed around a quad filled with students and alumni who had set up camp before the game.
From Slate ● Oct. 30, 2024
Someone else showed up for the phone, gave her a nod and moseyed away.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 19, 2023
Neighbors excitedly waved and honked their horns as he moseyed alongside lowriders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2022
In due course, they moseyed off into the nearby narrow roads and alleyways.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Their first crack at it, they were kind of moseying down that water.
From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2023
There is a good chance you know the difference between moseying and meandering.
From New York Times ● Dec. 22, 2023
The delegation left without further discussion, moseying back to the helipad to join the pilot, who’d never left her seat.
From Slate ● Dec. 16, 2023
Instead of "moseying through" he was now trying to make every day "as good as it could possibly be".
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2023
Right now we'd better be moseying on; the sun's climbing, partner.'
From The Desert Valley by Jackson Gregory
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.
