traipse
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
verb
noun
Usage
Where does the word traipse come from? Traipse generally means "to wander aimlessly or idly while never reaching one's goal," as in Last night, they traipsed all over town trying to find a store that was still open. Well, you'll certainly wander aimlessly if you try to find the origin of the word traipse. The word is first recorded around 1585–95. It could be related to the verb tramp, and one can definitely traipse, or "walk over," something, such as fields or flowers. An alternative theory connects traipse to trespass, which originates from French. Traipse isn’t alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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traipsesimple
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traipsessimple
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have traipsedperfect
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has traipsedperfect
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am traipsingprogressive
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are traipsingprogressive
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is traipsingprogressive
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have been traipsingperfect progressive
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has been traipsingperfect progressive
Past
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traipsedsimple
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had traipsedperfect
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was traipsingprogressive
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were traipsingprogressive
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had been traipsingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of traipse
First recorded in 1585–95; earlier trapse, unexplained variant of trape, of disputed origin; perhaps obscurely akin to tramp
Explanation
To traipse is to walk around with a sloppy or aimless attitude. A bored high school student might traipse through a museum on a class trip, for example. When you traipse, you trudge in an exhausted or reluctant way. Picture several kids dutifully following their dad along a hiking path or walking a mile to school, and you'll have a good idea of what traipse means. We've used the word since the 16th century, but its origin isn't certain. Some scholars think traipse comes from the French trepasser, "to pass over," while others believe it started as an example of onomatopoeia, a word that sounds like what it means.
Vocabulary lists containing traipse
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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Our Town
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Before We Were Free
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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:
But traipse past the principal’s office, scale a short incline, and you’ll be rewarded with an 80-foot-long mural that explodes with color.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
But I still had to traipse to the group bathrooms and showers and couldn’t eat or drink there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 6, 2026
“I had to come downstairs late at night in my pajamas to a kitchen filled with six people and traipse through them,” Glusac, a writer, said.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 22, 2025
A traipse to London is no longer a necessity.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2024
Following his shoemaking phase, Cleofes began to traipse around the county carrying a little statue of Santa Inez del Campo, who was supposed to find missing animals.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Social media, along with all the other forms of mass communication we perpetually have at our fingertips, makes it not just easy to express every insight that traipses through our minds, but almost obligatory.
From Salon ● Mar. 21, 2022
Schumer, whose flip phone is a ubiquitous presence next to his ear as he traipses the Capitol, has been similarly chatty with administration officials after lawmakers left Washington until at least April 20.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 7, 2020
Set in 1979 New York, it traipses from the Mudd Club to Studio 54.
From New York Times ● Jun. 28, 2018
Baritone Clinton Curtis, who traipses between the classical and pop worlds, adds cool, uninflected lyrics.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2018
The exhibit runs through Tuesday at the W. J. Niederkorn Library in Port Washington before it traipses through the state over the next 11 months.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 8, 2016
In search of someone to teach him the art, Francis traipsed around Los Angeles looking for an internship.
From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2025
In 2021, he traipsed for five months and 2,000 miles between London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Dublin and Belfast; before climbing Ben Nevis, Snowdon and Scafell Pike.
From BBC ● May 30, 2025
Survivors traipsed through muck to find drinking water, power, Wi-Fi and cell service.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2024
He likely traipsed through poison oak while out in the wilderness and the swelling in his paws had not subsided as of Thursday, Dawes said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 18, 2024
Herbie gawked at this serene woman who traipsed so placidly about her Shangri-la.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
So in order to fly the tricolore in Milan, they would have had to give up their multimillion NHL salaries and spend a couple seasons traipsing around the Alps for virtually nothing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026
The kind of bowl you crave after traipsing home through slushy streets with cold fingers.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025
Next time you’re traipsing through LAX, take refuge in the beachy design and blue hues of Cartier’s first airport boutique on the West Coast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 3, 2025
Usher and NFL insider Adam Schefter traipsing around Capitol Hill and making a visit to the White House.
From Slate ● Mar. 3, 2025
She recognized it by the color and contours of the words traipsing down the spine.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
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.
