wander

verb

wan·​der ˈwän-dər How to pronounce wander (audio)
wandered; wandering ˈwän-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce wander (audio)

intransitive verb

1
a
: to move about without a fixed course, aim, or goal
b
: to go idly about : ramble
wandering around the house
2
: to follow a winding course : meander
3
a
: to go astray (as from a course) : stray
wandered away from the group
b
: to go astray morally : err
c
: to lose normal mental contact : stray in thought
his mind wandered

transitive verb

: to roam over
wandered the halls
wander noun
wanderer noun
Choose the Right Synonym for wander

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 wander in a Sentence

I was just wandering around the house. They wandered down the street. Students were wandering the halls. He wandered away from the trail and got lost.
Recent Examples on the Web Days later, someone found her sister alive, wandering the streets, appearing to be in extreme psychological distress. Claire Porter Robbins, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2024 Tourists wandering the Las Vegas Strip Tuesday may have noticed something was missing. Chris Morris, Fortune, 5 Mar. 2024 Mammoths, steppe bison, wild horses and other enormous mammals still wandered the Americas, pursued by bands of humans wielding spears with fluted stone blades. Zach St. George, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 But a rarely bought, had to classify item can lead to wandering aisles in the vain hope that the item will be easily spotted. Roger Dooley, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 For now, makeshift markets huddle next to gleaming gyms and car showrooms, while wandering pi-dogs and kamikaze auto-rickshaws slow the traffic to a lurching stop-start crawl. Jane Alexander, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Feb. 2024 What to do: After your kayak journey, wander through the ruins of the key. Emma Janssen, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2024 But this is music crying out for myrrh and matches: spacey, meandering sounds that wander around in search of a melody, occasionally find one, and then lurch off in another direction. David Browne, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2024 Or just wander into your local shop and ask a clerk what’s good. The New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wander.' 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 wandren, from Old English wandrian; akin to Middle High German wandern to wander, Old English windan to wind, twist

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wander was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wander

Cite this Entry

“Wander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wander. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wander

verb
wan·​der ˈwän-dər How to pronounce wander (audio)
wandered; wandering -d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce wander (audio)
1
: to move about without a purpose
2
: to follow a winding course : meander
3
a
: to get off the right course : stray
wandered away
b
: to lose one's normal mental concentration
her mind wandered
wander noun
wanderer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on wander

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