vagabond

American

[vag-uh-bond] / ˈvæg əˌbɒnd /

adjective

wandering from place to place without any settled home; nomadic.

a vagabond tribe.
leading an unsettled or carefree life.
disreputable; worthless; shiftless.
of, relating to, or characteristic of a vagabond.

vagabond habits.
having an uncertain or irregular course or direction.

a vagabond voyage.

noun

a person, usually without a permanent home, who wanders from place to place; nomad.
an idle wanderer without a permanent home or visible means of support; tramp; vagrant.

Synonyms:

loafer, hobo
a carefree, worthless, or irresponsible person; rogue.

Synonyms:

idler, knave

vagabond British

/ ˈvæɡəˌbɒnd /

noun

a person with no fixed home
an idle wandering beggar or thief
(modifier) of or like a vagabond; shiftless or idle

"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

Related Words

See vagrant.

Other Word Forms

vagabondage noun
vagabondish adjective
vagabondism noun

Etymology

Origin of vagabond

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English vagabound (from Old French vagabond ), from Late Latin vagābundus “wandering, vagrant,” equivalent to Latin vagā(rī) “to wander” + -bundus adjective suffix

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.

A friend unexpectedly hosted a vagabond queen who birthed a litter in their place.

From Salon • Dec. 6, 2024

The song’s lyrics, hinged on the image of a humble rural hunter “just trying to survive,” double as an analog for Ferrell’s journey to date, from West Virginia vagabond to Americana queen.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2024

But over the following years, purported sightings of Majorana multiplied: as a beggar in Naples, a monk in Calabria, and a vagabond in South America.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 20, 2023

Waymire was never reported missing and “was described to have a vagabond lifestyle,” spending time in both Spokane and Wenatchee, according to the news release.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 29, 2023

Shin did not yet know this, but grassroots capitalism, vagabond trading, and rampant corruption were creating cracks in the police state that surrounded Camp 14.

From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023