Vagabond — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈva-gə-ˌbänd/ vag·a·bond

Meaning & Definition of Vagabond

Vagabond (noun)

  1. a person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home, one leading a vagabond life; especially, vagrant, tramp

Vagabond (adjective)

  1. moving from place to place without a fixed home, wandering
  2. of, relating to, or characteristic of a wanderer
  3. leading an unsettled, irresponsible, or disreputable life

Vagabond (verb)

  1. to wander in the manner of a vagabond, roam about

Vagabond (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living

    "be wary of the vagabonds in that corner of the city"

    similar: bindle stiff, bum, bummer, hobo, sundowner (Australian), swaggie (chiefly Australian), swagman (chiefly Australian), tramp, vagrant
    related: drifter, roamer, transient, beggar, derelict, mendicant, panhandler, stiff, dodger, malingerer, shirker, slacker, gamine, ragamuffin, urchin, waif

  2. a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination

    "after they retired, the couple bought an RV and became footloose vagabonds"

    similar: drifter, gadabout, knockabout, maunderer, nomad, rambler, roamer, rover, stroller, wanderer, wayfarer, bird of passage
    related: laggard, straggler, lingerer, loiterer, sojourner, bum, hobo, tramp, passenger, sightseer, traveler, migrant, transient, vagrant, ambler, saunterer
    near: homebody, denizen, dweller, habitant, inhabitant, resident, settler

Vagabond (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. traveling from place to place

    "a vagabond group of entertainers that performed in rough-and-tumble mining towns"

    similar: ambulant, ambulatory, errant, fugitive, gallivanting, itinerant, nomad, nomadic, perambulatory, peregrine, peripatetic, ranging, roaming, roving, vagrant, wandering, wayfaring, on the move
    related: drifting, footloose, meandering, rambling, sauntering, strolling, traipsing, walking, migrant, migratory
    near: immobile, nonmoving, settled, standing, static, stationary, motionless, still

Vagabond (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in tramp, hobo

    similar: hobo, tramp, dawdle, mope, mill (about or around), amble, saunter, stroll, straggle, stray, bat, cruise, drift, float, gad (about), gallivant, kick around, knock (about), maunder, meander, mooch, ramble, range, roam, rove, traipse, wander

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Vagabond

The most common words with a similar meaning to Vagabond:

Chiefly Australian: swaggie, swagman
Australian: sundowner
bindle stiff, bum, bummer, hobo, tramp, vagrant, drifter, gadabout, knockabout, maunderer, nomad, rambler, roamer, rover, stroller, wanderer, wayfarer, bird of passage, ambulant, ambulatory, errant, fugitive, gallivanting, itinerant, nomadic, perambulatory, peregrine, peripatetic, ranging, roaming, roving, wandering, wayfaring, on the move, dawdle, mope, mill (about or around), amble, saunter, stroll

Related Words for Vagabond

transient, beggar, derelict, mendicant, panhandler, stiff, dodger, malingerer, shirker, slacker, gamine, ragamuffin, urchin, waif, laggard, straggler, lingerer, loiterer, sojourner, passenger, sightseer, traveler, migrant, ambler, saunterer, drifting, footloose, meandering, rambling, sauntering

Near Antonyms of Vagabond

homebody, denizen, dweller, habitant, inhabitant, resident, settler, immobile, nonmoving, settled, standing, static, stationary, motionless, still

Word Forms of Vagabond

Inflections: vagabonded, vagabonding, vagabonds

Derived words: vagabondage (noun), vagabondism (noun), vagabondish (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Vagabond

Middle English vacabounde, vagabounde, borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French vacabunde, borrowed from Late Latin vagābundus, from Latin vagārī "to wander, roam" (verbal derivative of vagus "moving freely, wandering") + -bundus, deverbal adjective suffix (akin to Latin fuī "I was," Old English bēon "to be") vague, be

First known use: 15th century

Frequently Asked Questions about Vagabond

What does "Vagabond" mean?

"Vagabond" means a person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home, one leading a vagabond life; especially, vagrant, tramp. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: a person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home, one leading a vagabond life; especially, vagrant, tramp. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Vagabond"?

Other words for "Vagabond" include bindle stiff, bum, bummer, hobo, sundowner, swaggie, swagman and tramp. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Vagabond" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Vagabond"?

There are 96 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Vagabond". Common alternatives include bindle stiff, bum, bummer, hobo, sundowner, swaggie, swagman, tramp, vagrant and drifter.

How do you use "Vagabond" in a sentence?

Examples of "Vagabond" in a sentence: "be wary of the vagabonds in that corner of the city"; "after they retired, the couple bought an RV and became footloose vagabonds"; "a vagabond group of entertainers that performed in rough-and-tumble mining towns".

Is "Vagabond" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Vagabond" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Vagabond"?

"Vagabond" is pronounced /ˈva-gə-ˌbänd/ and divided into syllables as vag·a·bond.

What is the origin of the word "Vagabond"?

"Vagabond" comes from Middle English vacabounde, vagabounde, borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French vacabunde, borrowed from Late Latin vagābundus, from Latin vagārī "to wander, roam" (verbal derivative of vagus "moving freely, wandering") + -bundus, deverbal adjective suffix (akin to Latin fuī "I was," Old English bēon "to be") vague, be. First known use: 15th century.

What is another word for "Vagabond" meaning "a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living"?

When "Vagabond" (noun) means a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living, synonyms include bindle stiff, bum, bummer, hobo, sundowner and swaggie.