wander
Americanverb (used without object)
-
wanders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wandered,
past participle, past
-
wandering
present participle
-
to ramble without a definite purpose or objective; roam, rove, or stray.
to wander over the earth.
-
to go aimlessly, indirectly, or casually; meander.
The river wanders among the rocks.
- Synonyms:
- saunter
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to extend in an irregular course or direction.
Foothills wandered off to the south.
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to move, pass, or turn idly, as the hand or the eyes.
-
(of the mind, thoughts, desires, etc.) to take one direction or another without conscious intent or control.
His attention wandered as the speaker droned on.
-
to stray from a path, place, companions, etc..
During the storm the ship wandered from its course.
-
to deviate in conduct, belief, etc.; err; go astray.
Let me not wander from Thy Commandments.
-
to think or speak confusedly or incoherently.
-
(of a person with a mental disorder or cognitive impairment) to move about or walk in a seemingly aimless or random manner.
verb (used with object)
-
wanders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wandered,
past participle, past
-
wandering
present participle
noun
-
wanders
plural
verb
-
(also tr) to move or travel about, in, or through (a place) without any definite purpose or destination
-
to proceed in an irregular course; meander
-
to go astray, as from a path or course
-
(of the mind, thoughts, etc) to lose concentration or direction
-
to think or speak incoherently or illogically
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
wandersimple
-
wanderssimple
-
have wanderedperfect
-
has wanderedperfect
-
am wanderingprogressive
-
are wanderingprogressive
-
is wanderingprogressive
-
have been wanderingperfect progressive
-
has been wanderingperfect progressive
Past
-
wanderedsimple
-
had wanderedperfect
-
was wanderingprogressive
-
were wanderingprogressive
-
had been wanderingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of wander
First recorded before 900; Middle English wandren, Old English wandrian “to wend repeatedly” (cognate with German wandern ), from wendan; see wend
Explanation
The verb wander describes something that has lost track. If you're watching a boring movie, your mind might begin to wander. If you don't have a clear goal, you could wander too — meaning you drift aimlessly. When you wander mentally, your thoughts get lost. And when you wander physically, you don't have a destination, so it's also possible to lose your bearings and not know where you are — or how to get back. That's why wander is also used to describe someone who drifts from place to place or job to job without a sense of direction or purpose.
Vocabulary lists containing wander
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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:
“One I finished is being mounted: ‘Not all those who wander are lost.’”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
A digital waitlist lets you wander around the neighborhood, browse the shops, maybe get a head start on another errand.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026
Guests were free to wander in as Bakker and his wife taped their new show.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
The seas around New Zealand are populated with multiple species of seals, who do occasionally wander ashore.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
For a while we wander along unfamiliar streets, hearing words in Neapolitan, a language we can almost understand.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
“It sets him on a journey as he wanders through his Rust Belt town,” Coury said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026
The Earth’s center of mass wanders as ice sheets melt and water shifts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
As he poured the traditional cup of wine for the prophet, Rabbi Aft reminded his community that Elijah wanders the earth disguised as a stranger, testing humanity’s capacity for hospitality, compassion and kindness.
From Salon ● Jun. 1, 2026
At 100, Attenborough no longer wanders the world's jungles and deserts.
From Barron's ● May 6, 2026
My mind wanders like this sometimes when I’m knitting.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
She noted that tourists and security footage showed the dog had not wandered beyond a roughly two-mile stretch of the Canyon Village area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
They had little choice about their potential victims - in the end it was Jerry Hall and Ross Kemp who wandered in to join Maya and James A in deliberately tedious conversation.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Twelve years later, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wandered directly into the bit.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Gudrun Schumann, 72, a retired physician who wandered past the rally, said she understood the AfD appeals to voters angry over mounting problems with healthcare, education and the cost of living.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
He wandered over to his sandbox, sat down on the triangular corner seat, and reached for a big spoon that was partly buried in the sand and dirt.
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
He talks for more than an hour, his remarks wandering here, there and everywhere.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
England began their wandering winter with a sloppy loss to Pakistan in the one-day tri-series in Rawalpindi.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
The researchers also uncovered an intriguing connection between these wandering stars and dark matter.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
As the song played, people from neighboring studios, including hip-hop producers and other musicians, began wandering in.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026
The boy – Hugo – was wandering down the street.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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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.
