vagabond
Americanadjective
-
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 with no fixed home
-
an idle wandering beggar or thief
-
(modifier) of or like a vagabond; shiftless or idle
Synonym Usage
See vagrant.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Explanation
A vagabond is someone who moves around a lot. Picture Boxcar Willie, bandana on a stick thrown over his shoulder, going wherever the breeze takes him. Vagabond can also be an adjective, a nomadic tribe is a vagabond one, or the person who moved eight times in two years is living a vagabond life. It's from the Latin word vagabundus (from vagari, "wander") which means "inclined to wander." So — if you were born a ramblin' man, you might just be a vagabond.
Vocabulary lists containing vagabond
"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 14–18
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Bless Me, Ultima
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Tolkien Reading Day, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
A friend unexpectedly hosted a vagabond queen who birthed a litter in their place.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024
Briones, then a student of Ruizpalacios’ acting courses, had a much smaller role as the immigrant restaurant owner demanding his missing funds, and later as a vagabond who wanders into the kitchen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 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
Here’s what the legendary Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray wrote — in 1992, more than 30 years ago, when Brown was still in the fledgling stages of his vagabond existence:
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 22, 2023
She admits she is beginning to feel the strain of her vagabond life.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
Then we would have student-athletes instead of shopping vagabonds.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2025
"We are for the mavericks, misfits and vagabonds of the industry to come and try things out. So, the heart that the former theatre had will continue to come across here."
From BBC ● Jan. 5, 2024
The chapter continues: "Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places."
From Salon ● Jun. 13, 2022
"I joined our tribe of rogues and vagabonds a long time ago," said Mirren.
From Reuters ● Feb. 28, 2022
To cock it on his head and expect vagabonds and cutthroats to fall to their knees?
From "The Whipping Boy" by Sid Fleischman
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.
