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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In the Basque region of Spain, Rosenthal roams through the culinary capital of San Sebastián, devouring pintxos, impressive seafood and Txakoli wine. Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025 Some inmates roamed freely, refused to follow staff orders and extorted fellow prisoners. Chris Kenning, USA Today, 17 June 2025 Starting Wednesday, the driverless taxis will roam more than 120 square miles of Los Angeles County, stretching from Santa Monica to downtown and from West Hollywood to Inglewood. Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025 The inmates wear civilian clothes and aren’t held in actual cells; many of them run their own shops and stalls inside the prison, and can roam freely. Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 14 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for roam

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Roam.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roam. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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