vagrant

[ vey-gruhnt ]

/ ˈveɪ grənt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for vagrant on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who wanders about idly and has no permanent home or employment; vagabond; tramp.

Law. an idle person without visible means of support, as a tramp or beggar.

a person who wanders from place to place; wanderer; rover.

wandering idly without a permanent home or employment; living in vagabondage: vagrant beggars.

of, relating to, or characteristic of a vagrant: the vagrant life.

adjective

wandering or roaming from place to place; nomadic.

(of plants) straggling in growth.

not fixed or settled, especially in course; moving hither and thither: a vagrant leaf blown by the wind.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of vagrant

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English vagaraunt, apparently present participle of unattested Anglo-French vagrer, perhaps from unattested Middle English vagren, blend of vagen (from Latin vagārī “to wander”) and unattested walcren (becoming Old French wa(u)crer), equivalent to walc- (see walk) + -r- frequentative suffix + -en infinitive suffix

synonym study for vagrant

1. Vagrant, vagabond describe an idle, disreputable person who lacks a fixed abode. Vagrant suggests a tramp, a person with no settled abode or livelihood, an idle and disorderly person: picked up by police as a vagrant. Vagabond especially emphasizes the idea of worthless living, often by trickery, thieving, or other disreputable means: Actors were once classed with rogues and vagabonds.

OTHER WORDS FROM vagrant

va·grant·ly, adverbva·grant·ness, nounnon·va·grant, adjectivenon·va·grant·ly, adverb

non·va·grant·ness, nounun·va·grant, adjectiveun·va·grant·ly, adverbun·va·grant·ness, noun

Words nearby vagrant

vagotomy, vagotonia, vagotropic, vagovagal, vagrancy, vagrant, vagrant's disease, vagrom, vague, vaguely, vagus

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use vagrant in a sentence

The commissioner had heard screaming, looked outside and saw a father pushing a baby in a stroller accompanied by another toddler moving away from a person the witness described as a vagrant, who was following them with a brick, Krepp said.
Father and child attacked with brick on Capitol Hill, officials say|Justin George|December 19, 2021|Washington Post
Among songbirds, Dufour says, vagrants are always young birds.
Some songbirds now migrate east to west. Climate change may play a role|Jake Buehler|November 9, 2021|Science News
Occasionally, “vagrant” birds get lost and show up far from this range, including in Europe.
Some songbirds now migrate east to west. Climate change may play a role|Jake Buehler|November 9, 2021|Science News
I’d gotten wind via the eBird Rare Bird Alert that a vagrant woodcock had been spotted along the Rio Grande near Albuquerque, New Mexico, just 15 minutes from my house.
How eBird Changed Birding Forever|Jessie Williamson|December 4, 2020|Outside Online

In an interview, Liang said, “Air should be the most valueless commodity, free to breathe for any vagrant or beggar.”
The Chinese Can’t Catch Their Breath|Brendon Hong|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet the word vagrant is a misnomer in this city, where economy has reached a finesse that is marvelous.
The Real Latin Quarter|F. Berkeley Smith
For the first time Bud had a vagrant suspicion that Foster had not told quite all there was to tell about this trip.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower
Orders were issued to the boards of management of the newly created vagrant districts, telling them that they need not meet.
English Poor Law Policy|Sidney Webb
Yet even for the professional vagrant the promiscuous London casual ward of 1864 was not to be extended.
English Poor Law Policy|Sidney Webb
Says one of the characters, referring to the importunities of a tipsy vagrant, “Give him half-a-crown!”
A Cursory History of Swearing|Julian Sharman

British Dictionary definitions for vagrant

vagrant

/ (ˈveɪɡrənt) /

noun

a person of no settled abode, income, or job; tramp

a migratory animal that is off course

adjective

wandering about; nomadic

of, relating to, or characteristic of a vagrant or vagabond

moving in an erratic fashion, without aim or purpose; wayward

(of plants) showing uncontrolled or straggling growth

Archaic equivalent: vagrom (ˈveɪɡrəm)

Derived forms of vagrant

vagrantly, adverbvagrantness, noun

Word Origin for vagrant

C15: probably from Old French waucrant (from wancrer to roam, of Germanic origin), but also influenced by Old French vagant vagabond, from Latin vagārī to wander

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

vagrant

Origin of vagrant

synonym study for vagrant

OTHER WORDS FROM vagrant

Words nearby vagrant

Words related to vagrant

How to use vagrant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vagrant

Derived forms of vagrant

Word Origin for vagrant