wander

American  

[won-der] / ˈwɒn dər /

verb (used without object)

1. to ramble without a definite purpose or objective; roam, rove, or stray.

   to wander over the earth.

   Synonyms:

   stroll, range

2. to go aimlessly, indirectly, or casually; meander.

   The river wanders among the rocks.

   Synonyms:

   saunter

3. to extend in an irregular course or direction.

   Foothills wandered off to the south.

4. to move, pass, or turn idly, as the hand or the eyes.

5. (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.

6. to stray from a path, place, companions, etc..

   During the storm the ship wandered from its course.

   Synonyms:

   veer, swerve

7. to deviate in conduct, belief, etc.; err; go astray.

   Let me not wander from Thy Commandments.

8. to think or speak confusedly or incoherently.

   Synonyms:

   rave, ramble

9. (of a person with a mental disorder or cognitive impairment) to move about or walk in a seemingly aimless or random manner.

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verb (used with object)

1. to travel about, on, or through.

   He wandered the streets.

noun

1. Mechanics. the drift of a gyroscope or a similar device.

wander British  

/ ˈwɒndə /

verb

1. (also tr) to move or travel about, in, or through (a place) without any definite purpose or destination

2. to proceed in an irregular course; meander

3. to go astray, as from a path or course

4. (of the mind, thoughts, etc) to lose concentration or direction

5. to think or speak incoherently or illogically

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noun

1. the act or an instance of wandering

Other Word Forms

• outwander
  verb (used with object)
• wanderer
  noun
• wandering
  adjective
• wanderingly
  adverb

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.

Example Sentences

The characters of “Still Life” study Van Gogh’s paintings, wander through the towns and landscapes he painted and, in the case of Frederica’s friend Alexander, attempt to write a play about the painter.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

"She could just wander down the street and bump into one of them."

From BBC • May 27, 2026

As we watched the group wander about, a female capybara waded into a mud puddle along the truck path and rolled around happily.

From Slate • May 27, 2026

Each year, as families wander through the Leona Valley orchards with red buckets, it’s not unusual to hear Spanish, Persian, Korean and Japanese as well as English.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

When Bobby determined, or at least believed, that he was no longer being followed or pursued, he began to freely wander the city, taking trams and buses to various destinations.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

Related Words

• amble
• cruise
• drift
• float
• hike
• meander
• ramble
• roam
• saunter
• straggle
• stray
• stroll
• traipse
• trek