wander

[ won-der ]

/ ˈwɒn dər /

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See synonyms for: wander / wandering / wanderer on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to ramble without a definite purpose or objective; roam, rove, or stray: to wander over the earth.

to go aimlessly, indirectly, or casually; meander: The river wanders among the rocks.

to extend in an irregular course or direction: Foothills wandered off to the south.

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

(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.

to stray from a path, place, companions, etc.: During the storm the ship wandered from its course.

to deviate in conduct, belief, etc.; err; go astray: Let me not wander from Thy Commandments.

to think or speak confusedly or incoherently.

(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)

to travel about, on, or through: He wandered the streets.

noun

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

OTHER WORDS FOR wander

1 range, stroll.

2 saunter.

6 swerve, veer.

8 ramble, rave.

See synonyms for wander on Thesaurus.com

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Origin of wander

before 900; Middle English wandren,Old English wandrian (cognate with German wandern), frequentative of wendan to wend; see -er⁶

OTHER WORDS FROM wander

wan·der·er, nounoutwander, verb (used with object)

Words nearby wander

Wanaque, wanchancy, Wanchüan, wand, Wanda, wander, Wanderer, wandering, wandering abscess, wandering albatross, wandering cell

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

How to use wander in a sentence

As Yellowstone bears increasingly wander outside the sanctuary of the park, they run an ever-greater risk of getting shot.
What It Takes to Kill a Grizzly Bear|Doug Peacock|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Some kids are prone to letting their minds wander and daydreaming.
Daydreaming Is Not a Disorder|Russell Saunders|October 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Save for the clip of heels as visitors wander around the gallery, the venue is silent.
The Dark Rock Star Fantasy of Saint Laurent’s Hedi Slimane|Liza Foreman|September 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Finally, I have to wander slightly off brief with my last two recommendations.
Doctors Can Write More Than Prescriptions: The Best Books by Doctors|Gabriel Weston|August 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

One can even rent out the villa here or wander down from the Arc de Triomphe and peek through the fence.
Paris’s Secret Fashion Week Haunts|Liza Foreman|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He allowed his mind to wander back into the past—back many years to the time when he had gone into the country to take a meal.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Of all the inhabitants of London chambers those are the most lonely who never wander away from London.
The Doctor of Pimlico|William Le Queux
Sometimes Jehosophat's father opens the gate in the fence and lets the geese wander down to the pond.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
Literally and figuratively, their lives seemed to wander through flowery pleasure-paths.
Ruth|Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
She appeared to wander in her mind, for sometimes her words were coherent, at other times she merely babbled.
The Floating Light of the Goodwin Sands|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for wander

wander

/ (ˈwɒndə) /

verb (mainly intr)

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

to proceed in an irregular course; meander

to go astray, as from a path or course

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

to think or speak incoherently or illogically

noun

the act or an instance of wandering

Derived forms of wander

wanderer, nounwandering, adjective, nounwanderingly, adverb

Word Origin for wander

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

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

wander

OTHER WORDS FOR wander

Origin of wander

OTHER WORDS FROM wander

Words nearby wander

Words related to wander

How to use wander in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wander

Derived forms of wander

Word Origin for wander