roam

verb

roamed; roaming; roams

intransitive verb

1
: to go from place to place without purpose or direction : wander
2
: to travel purposefully unhindered through a wide area
cattle roaming in search of water
3
: to use a cellular phone outside one's local calling area
roaming charges

transitive verb

: to range or wander over
roam noun
roamer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for roam

wander, roam, ramble, rove, traipse, meander mean to go about from place to place usually without a plan or definite purpose.

wander implies an absence of or an indifference to a fixed course.

fond of wandering about the square just watching the people

roam suggests wandering about freely and often far afield.

liked to roam through the woods

ramble stresses carelessness and indifference to one's course or objective.

the speaker rambled on without ever coming to the point

rove suggests vigorous and sometimes purposeful roaming.

armed brigands roved over the countryside

traipse implies a course that is erratic but may sometimes be purposeful.

traipsed all over town looking for the right dress

meander implies a winding or intricate course suggestive of aimless or listless wandering.

the river meanders for miles through rich farmland

Examples of roam in a Sentence

The cattle roamed in search of water. Goats roam free on the mountain. He roamed about in search of work. The chickens are able to roam around freely in the farmyard. We roamed around town for a while before dinner. She liked to roam through the woods.
Recent Examples on the Web The Athens, Georgia quintet pledges allegiance to the sounds that powered the Armadillo World Headquarters way back when long-haired hippies like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings roamed the land. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024 Their newsroom reflects their target audience — there’s a video game console in the kitchen, a dog roams the halls and everyone appears to be in their 20s. Joshua Berlinger, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024 During the set, West roamed the stage in a black jacket and a face mask as Vultures 1 tracks played over the festival’s huge sound system. Dave Brooks, Billboard, 15 Mar. 2024 Back in 2018, when Smilodon roamed the Earth and Donald John Trump roamed the White House, a significant study reported on by ... Wilfred Reilly, National Review, 14 Mar. 2024 Waymo has not disclosed a timeline for when its service will become widely available, but a handful of Waymo vehicles are already roaming about the county, including around the USC campus, as part of its ongoing testing and promotion program. Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 Truly, Luckenbach is a welcoming place for visitors to roam in and spend some time. Stacey Leasca, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2024 Explore Cape Charles 20 of 20 Virginia: Assateague Island Assateague Island National Seashore stretches 37 miles along the Atlantic and is home to a herd of roaming wild horses. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 Patrol cars roamed the streets in the predawn silence of Saturday the twenty-seventh. Alma Guillermoprieto, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'roam.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English romen

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of roam was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near roam

Cite this Entry

“Roam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roam. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

roam

verb
1
: to go or go over from place to place without a plan
roam the hills
cattle roaming in search of water
2
: to use a cell phone outside one's local calling area
roamer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on roam

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