wanderings words meaning

Synonyms of wander

• as in to roam
• as in to trespass
• as in stroll
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Thesaurus Definition of wander

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

• knock (about)
• gad (about)
• kick around
• mill (about or around)
• fall from grace
• break the law

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Thesaurus Definition of wander  (Entry 2 of 2)

• constitutional
• perambulation
• peregrination

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb wander contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of wander are meander , ramble , roam , rove , and traipse . While all these words 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.

When might meander be a better fit than wander ?

The words meander and wander are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, meander implies a winding or intricate course suggestive of aimless or listless wandering.

When is ramble a more appropriate choice than wander ?

The meanings of ramble and wander largely overlap; however, ramble stresses carelessness and indifference to one's course or objective.

When would roam be a good substitute for wander ?

The words roam and wander can be used in similar contexts, but roam suggests wandering about freely and often far afield.

When can rove be used instead of wander ?

While in some cases nearly identical to wander , rove suggests vigorous and sometimes purposeful roaming.

In what contexts can traipse take the place of wander ?

The synonyms traipse and wander are sometimes interchangeable, but traipse implies a course that is erratic but may sometimes be purposeful.

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Cite this entry.

“Wander.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wander. Accessed 23 Jun. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on wander

Nglish: Translation of wander for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of wander for Arabic Speakers

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noun as in odyssey

Strongest matches

• exploration

Strong matches

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Example sentences.

His wanderings through the blighted landscape are accompanied by thoughts of resurrection and renewal.

Barbour says it was the development of a severe cold, a benumbment contracted in the hardships of his early wanderings.

"I did not go so far," interrupted Hartledon, wondering still whether this might not be the wanderings of a dying man.

Capt was a silent man, and his fellow servants were never able to extract any gossip from him respecting his master's wanderings.

If the damsel smiled Once in seven years only, All their wanderings dreary Ample guerdon knew.

In his wanderings, he had panned the alluvium of many small streams and had recovered more than the usual amount of gold.

Related Words

Words related to wanderings are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word wanderings . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

noun as in journey

On this page you'll find 13 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to wanderings, such as: adventure, excursion, expedition, exploration, pilgrimage, and quest.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

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[ won -der-ing ]

Crowds of wandering tourists crossed the square.

They were historically a wandering people, moving seasonally through the area.

They followed a wandering path down the mountain.

For our honeymoon we had a period of delightful wandering through Italy.

Her wanderings took her all over the world.

mental wanderings;

the wanderings of delirium.

Wandering by Alzheimer’s patients is a problem in nursing homes.

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Other words from.

• wan·der·ing·ly adverb
• wan·der·ing·ness noun
• un·wan·der·ing adjective
• un·wan·der·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of wandering 1

Example Sentences

Later, information emerged that this sea lion is known for its wanderings.

This is counter-intuitive because spontaneous fluctuations and mind-wandering can also lead to depressive rumination and anxiety.

Similar to playing and dreaming is the wandering of our minds.

When psychologists do that, they find that mind-wandering is staggeringly frequent.

Mind-wandering is often considered a harmless quirk, as in the cliché of the scatter-brained professor.

Mr. Bachner found it by wandering through the market and identified a craftsmen here who works in a tiny booth.

And, in a gratuitous show of homicidal prowess, Moses kills two assassins he meets while wandering in the desert of Sinai.

After wandering at haphazard some little way I met a peasant in a sleigh.

He showed signs of a restless, wandering soul, someone searching for meaning around him.

I spotted American students wandering around London last week dressed in Stars and Stripes shorts and bikini tops.

She observed his pale looks, and the distracted wandering of his eyes; but she would not notice either.

This mode of learning promotes attention and prevents mind-wandering.

He paled a little, and sucked his lip, his eyes wandering to the girl, who stood in stolid inapprehension of what was being said.

John and Judas became the good and evil Wandering Jews of mediæval folklore.

He was relieved to learn that his grandson Moses Mole was not wandering about the garden, after all.

Related Words

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of wander in English

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wander verb ( MOVE AROUND )

• walk The baby has just learned to walk.
• stride She strode purposefully up to the desk and demanded to speak to the manager.
• march He marched right in to the office and demanded to see the governor.
• stroll We strolled along the beach.
• wander She wandered from room to room, not sure of what she was looking for.
• amble She ambled down the street, looking in shop windows.
• crawl There'd been a bad accident on the motorway and traffic was crawling.
• trundle Lorries trundle through the narrow lanes.
• creep He crept downstairs, hardly making any noise.
• trudge They trudged wearily through the snow.
• stroll We spent the afternoon strolling around Budapest.
• amble He ambled over to the window.
• Don't worry if you lose hold of the reins - the horse won't wander off.
• He wandered around, clearing up in a desultory way.
• We wandered along the shore , stepping over the flotsam that had washed up in the night .
• We wandered through the beautifully proportioned rooms of the Winter Palace.
• She was wandering around in a daze this morning .
• His eyes wandered over the posters adorning the walls .
• dumbwalking

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

wander verb ( SUBJECT )

• bury the lede idiom
• candy coating
• candy-coated
• circumlocution
• circumlocutory
• get on to/onto something
• gloss over something
• go off on a tangent idiom
• prevaricate
• tiptoe around something/someone
• unexpressed

Related word

• We had a very pleasant wander around the village .
• I took a wander through the supermarket aisles to see what they had.

wander | American Dictionary

Translations of wander.

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Word of the Day

thirst for something

to feel very strongly that you want and need a particular thing

Fakes and forgeries (Things that are not what they seem to be)

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• wander (MOVE AROUND)
• wander (SUBJECT)
• American    Verb
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Definition of 'wanderings'

wanderings in British English

Examples of 'wanderings' in a sentence wanderings, trends of wanderings.

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Browse alphabetically wanderings

• wandering mind
• wandering minstrel
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