scamper
Americanverb (used without object)
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scampers,
present (3rd person singular)
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scampered,
past participle, past
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scampering
present participle
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to run or go hastily or quickly.
-
to run playfully about, as a child.
noun
verb
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to run about playfully
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(often foll by through) to hurry quickly through (a place, task, book, etc)
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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scampersimple
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scamperssimple
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have scamperedperfect
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has scamperedperfect
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am scamperingprogressive
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are scamperingprogressive
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is scamperingprogressive
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have been scamperingperfect progressive
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has been scamperingperfect progressive
Past
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scamperedsimple
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had scamperedperfect
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was scamperingprogressive
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were scamperingprogressive
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had been scamperingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of scamper
Explanation
To scamper is to move in a hurry. You and your friends might scamper to catch the bus, or your kitten might scamper to catch a mouse. The verb scamper describes something that's moving in disorderly haste, often out of fear or excitement. You might notice that chipmunks scamper the instant your dog goes outside. You can also use scamper as a noun, when you talk about your death-defying scamper across town in an effort to be on time for your first day of work. Scamper was a very popular word in the late 1800s.
Vocabulary lists containing scamper
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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:
Møller’s heartless captain has even less personality but he does scamper impressively fast up the mast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Cool Machine” is a modern masterpiece and an ode to New York, no matter that rats skitter and cockroaches scamper underfoot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
They had more runners scamper across the plate during the regular season than anybody other than the star-studded New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2025
From the resulting penalty, the French would make the extra player count when Escudero had the space to scamper over for her side's first try of the game.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2025
It was a different castle to the one in which King Arthur used to scamper.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
While Stafford kept answering, Allen ultimately decided the game with two more scampers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
A dog called Colin scampers across the earthquake's wreckage in Morocco's remote mountain village of Douzrou.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2023
Like a bloodstained “After Hours,” the movie goes on to trail Cherie as she scampers away and seeks refuge in a series of urban sites: police station, apartment, overpass, church, nightclub, bathhouse.
From New York Times ● Oct. 27, 2022
And just as Rapp promised, Davis scampers into the end zone for the game-winning score.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 22, 2022
Woo scampers up to Autumn and looks at her with big eyes.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
The rapid Australia wing scampered clear and fed Lonergan for the home side's bonus-point score.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
But Kennard may have surprised even himself when he drove against Houston’s Jabari Smith, U-turned, scampered back outside the three-point line and drained a three from the wing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2026
On Friday, desert iguanas and whiptails scampered across an access road, portions of which wind through the national park.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
All represent some semblance of taste, an attribute that’s scampered up the ranks of desirability in the AI era.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
Clare scampered away as Ella hugged her godmother.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
The sport isn’t the same without Carlos Alcaraz, its sunny, electric, endlessly scampering 23-year-old acrobat from Spain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Perhaps it’s impractical to do full-body action shots of barefoot people scampering around a rustic deck.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
James Lankford, of Oklahoma, quickly confirmed that he hasn’t gotten a pair from the president before scampering up a set of stairs labeled “Senators Only.”
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
The Queen's dog, Moley was seen scampering around the King's feet as he composed the letter, and recounted his seven-decade friendship with the broadcaster.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
Akiko opened her mouth to speak, but then came the sound of scampering footsteps, and a young girl popped on-screen and climbed into Leo’s lap.
From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown
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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.
