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
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 and Jackson, who’s been waiting at the door, sniff and saunter away from each other casually though for the next day or two, they will chase each other and wrestle more than usual.
From Salon ● Mar. 5, 2024
I turned around and watched them saunter by.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
But the cat is so busy chasing its tail, the mouse saunters away and curls up for a nap.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
Depp saunters away from the tree, in the direction of another.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 9, 2022
At the beginning of each installment, he saunters out of the darkness up to what appears to be an elaborate model mansion with drawers.
From New York Times ● Oct. 21, 2022
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
Georgiana saunters forward with a perfectly proportioned smile on her face.
From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton
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 responded to the occasion, blew her a return kiss with a ham-y fist, tipped his hat gallantly and sauntered off down his beat whistling “At the Devil’s Ball.”
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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
The show began with Beyoncé astride a white horse sauntering down a hallway in NRG’s bowels as she sang “16 Carriages,” her ballad about a youth spent on the road chasing showbiz dreams.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 25, 2024
She let out a grunt and charged, running right up to Bruiser, who was sauntering by.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 7, 2023
Over the course of the past decade, these three have become charter members of pop’s permanent A-list, perpetually sauntering down a red carpet torqued into the shape of a Möbius strip, megastars turned omega-stars.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 3, 2023
“Are you always so serious?” he asked, sauntering toward me.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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.
