wander
Americanverb (used without object)
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to ramble without a definite purpose or objective; roam, rove, or stray.
to wander over the earth.
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to go aimlessly, indirectly, or casually; meander.
The river wanders among the rocks.
- Synonyms:
- saunter
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to extend in an irregular course or direction.
Foothills wandered off to the south.
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to move, pass, or turn idly, as the hand or the eyes.
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(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.
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to stray from a path, place, companions, etc..
During the storm the ship wandered from its course.
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to deviate in conduct, belief, etc.; err; go astray.
Let me not wander from Thy Commandments.
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to think or speak confusedly or incoherently.
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(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)
noun
verb
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(also tr) to move or travel about, in, or through (a place) without any definite purpose or destination
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to proceed in an irregular course; meander
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to go astray, as from a path or course
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(of the mind, thoughts, etc) to lose concentration or direction
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to think or speak incoherently or illogically
noun
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; wend
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.
On the other hand, a wandering peddler’s name could easily have been forgotten if it was ever known at all.
From Literature
She likes to tell the story of how, after she was treated for a concussion and a broken arm at a local hospital, she wandered the halls confused why nobody was trying to charge her.
My gaze kept wandering over to the spinning wheel and to my bed, where the gold was hidden.
From Literature
Twelve kilometers from the hotel zone, crossing empty streets with minimal traffic, residents in the well-off neighborhood of Fluvial Vallarta wandered through the parking lot of a Costco wholesaler.
From Barron's
But he’s learning to resist that instinct, in favor of allowing his mind to wander instead.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
