roam

verb

ˈrōm 

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

Synonyms

• bat
• cruise
• drift
• float
• gad (about)
• gallivant
• galavant
• kick around
• knock (about)
• maunder
• meander
• mooch
• ramble
• range
• rove
• traipse
• wander

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

Understanding black bears Black bears roam across much of North America. —Amanda Kooser, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024

This shadowy faction has been roaming the galaxy and mass-converting citizens, but their intent is unknown — something for players to discover over the coming weeks and months. —Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

In honor of his new coach, Cunningham even wore a custom jacket with the sleeves ripped off — a famed look of Belichick’s while roaming the NFL sidelines. —Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 12 Dec. 2024

Our imaginations now roam in a rich space of hypothetical reactivity. —Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 10 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English romen

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing roam

• his/her/my eyes roam

Kids Definition

roam

verb

ˈrōm 

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