wander

[ won-der ]

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.

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

/ 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

noun

1. the act or an instance of wandering

Derived Forms

• ˈwandering, adjectivenoun
• ˈwanderer, noun
• ˈwanderingly, adverb

Other Words From

• wander·er noun
• outwander verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of wander¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English wandren, Old English wandrian “to wend repeatedly” (cognate with German wandern ), from wendan; wend

Word History and Origins

Origin of wander¹

Old English wandrian; related to Old Frisian wandria, Middle Dutch, Middle High German wanderen

Example Sentences

When you reach the traffic circle at Vineyard Drive, about 4.6 miles west of Highway 101, you may be tempted to wander off on Vineyard for a few miles of low-speed bucolic splendor.

From Los Angeles Times

"No matter how much we try to distract the girls and avoid talking of the war, every now and then they wander off in thought."

From BBC

Dafoe worked opposite a cast of mostly nonactors as a benevolent but firm motel manager, catering to wandering souls in the shadow of Walt Disney World.

From Los Angeles Times

Eight days earlier, Joe Mangy – who is about two years old – was found wandering in the middle of a suburban road.

From BBC

ABC didn’t have any rooms reserved for us, so instead we wandered around the halls of ABC looking for interesting rooms to shoot in and stumbled upon this full-length mirror.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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