saunter

[sawn-ter, sahn-]

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verb (used without object)

to walk with a leisurely gait; stroll: sauntering through the woods.

noun

a leisurely walk or ramble; stroll.
a leisurely gait.

Origin of saunter

First recorded in 1660–70; of uncertain origin

Related formssaun·ter·er, noun

Synonyms for saunter

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1–3. amble, ramble, meander.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for sauntered

sashay, traipse, ramble, toddle, loiter, mosey, roam, mope, meander, amble, wander, stump, percolate, linger, tarry, drift, promenade, ooze, rove, ankle

Examples from the Web for sauntered

Contemporary Examples of sauntered

After an opening DJ set by his Fallon co-conspirator Questlove, Timberlake sauntered out onstage a few minutes past midnight.
Justin Timberlake Closes Out SXSW in Style at Myspace Bash
Marlow Stern
March 17, 2013
Throughout the weekend, American “trial tourists” sauntered in and out of the courtroom to see Knox.
Whose Bloody Footprints Were They?
Barbie Latza Nadeau
May 10, 2009

Historical Examples of sauntered

He turned sharply and sauntered toward the open door of the house.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
As the girl entered the stable, Mortimer sauntered on in the direction Mike had gone.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
Presently he sauntered out: the morning stir was just beginning in the village.
Hetty's Strange History
Anonymous
One Spring morning we had got up early and sauntered out together.
Wilfrid Cumbermede
George MacDonald
I asked Charley one day, as we sauntered with our cigars on the terrace of the Adelphi.
Wilfrid Cumbermede
George MacDonald

British Dictionary definitions for sauntered

saunter

verb (intr)

to walk in a casual manner; stroll

noun

a leisurely pace or stroll
a leisurely old-time dance

Derived Formssaunterer, noun

Word Origin for saunter

C17 (meaning: to wander aimlessly), C15 (to muse): of obscure origin

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

Word Origin and History for sauntered

saunter

late 15c., santren "to muse, be in reverie," of uncertain origin despite many absurd speculations. Meaning "walk with a leisurely gait" is from 1660s, and may be a different word. Klein suggests this sense of the word derives via Anglo-French sauntrer (mid-14c.) from French s'aventurer "to take risks," but OED finds this "unlikely." Related: Sauntered; sauntering.

saunter

"a leisurely stroll," 1828, from saunter (v.). Earlier it meant "idle occupation, diversion" (1728).