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
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.
So a guineafowl moving at a slow jog of 1 km/h (0.6 mph) – roughly the pace of a wandering toddler – through Alexander's formula would be estimated as 4.7 km/h (2.9 mph). New Atlas, 24 June 2025 Guests are invited to wander the gardens, join sourdough baking classes, and basically geek out on where their food comes from. Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025 This small oceanside town is located on Anastasia Island, a pristine wildlife haven, and offers broad Atlantic beaches perfect for wandering. Kara Franker, Southern Living, 19 June 2025 Centipedes are seen to swarm up walls, and forth the worms crawl to wander about the black earth’s intestines. Aratus, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for wander

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Wander.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wander. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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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