Walking — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈwȯ-kiŋ/ walk·ing

Meaning & Definition of Walking

Walking (noun)

  1. the action of one that walks
  2. the condition of a surface for one going on foot

Walking (adjective)

  1. able to walk, ambulatory
  2. being the personification of a nonhuman quality or thing
  3. used for or in walking

Walking (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in strolling, traipsing

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

Walking (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to go on foot

    "I walked slowly to school"

    similar: ambulating, footing (it), hoofing (it), legging (it), padding, stepping, traipsing, treading
    related: parading, promenading, marching, pacing, stepping out, striding, trooping, power walking, hiking, peregrinating, trekking, ambling, moseying, perambulating, rambling, sauntering, strolling, wandering, clumping, stomping, stumping, tramping, trampling, tromping, footslogging, plodding, trudging, gimping, hobbling, limping, mincing, prancing, pussyfooting, tiptoeing, bouncing, sashaying, stalking, strutting, swaggering, faltering, lumbering, lurching, pounding, scuffing, shambling, shuffling, staggering, stumbling, toddling, waddling, nipping, tapping, tripping, trotting

  2. to refuse to work in order to force an employer to meet demands

    "workers threatened to walk unless management agreed to shoulder more of the cost of health insurance"

    similar: striking, walking out
    related: sitting in, locking out

Related Entry: Walk (verb)

Walk is a different word from Walking. The synonyms below are for walk, not for walking.

  1. to go on foot

    "I walked slowly to school"

    similar: ambulate, foot (it), hoof (it), leg (it), pad, step, traipse, tread
    related: parade, promenade, march, pace, step out, stride, troop, power walk, hike, peregrinate, trek, amble, mosey, perambulate, ramble, saunter, stroll, wander, clump, stomp, stump, tramp, trample, tromp, footslog, plod, trudge, gimp, hobble, limp, mince, prance, pussyfoot, tiptoe, bounce, sashay, stalk, strut, swagger, falter, lumber, lurch, pound, scuff, shamble, shuffle, stagger, stumble, toddle, waddle, nip, tap, trip, trot

  2. to refuse to work in order to force an employer to meet demands

    "workers threatened to walk unless management agreed to shoulder more of the cost of health insurance"

    similar: strike, walk out
    related: sit in, lock out

Related Entry: Walking out (noun)

Walking out is a different word from Walking. The synonyms below are for walking out, not for walking.

  1. the act of leaving a place

    "your unexplained walking out like that was rude"

    similar: decamping, decampment, departing, departure, exit, exiting, farewell, going, leave, leave-taking, lighting out, outgo, parting, quitting
    related: flight, retirement, retreat, running away, withdrawal, diaspora, emigration, evacuation, exodus, embarkation, embarkment, disembarkation, egress, abandonment, forsaking, relinquishment
    opposite: advent, appearance, arrival
    near: coming, approach, entrance, ingress

Related Entry: Walking stick (noun)

Walking stick is a different word from Walking. The synonyms below are for walking stick, not for walking.

  1. as in crook, whangee

    similar: crook, crosier, whangee, beetle, gavel, hammer, mallet, maul, sledgehammer, birch, crabstick, hickory, rattan, stave, switch, blackjack, knobkerrie, mace, bastinado, bat, baton, billy, billy club, bludgeon, cane, club, cudgel, nightstick, rod, rung (Scottish), sap, shillelagh, staff, truncheon, waddy (Australian)

Related Entry: Walking sticks (noun)

Walking sticks is a different word from Walking. The synonyms below are for walking sticks, not for walking.

  1. as in crooks, whangees

    similar: crooks, crosiers, whangees, beetles, gavels, hammers, mallets, mauls, sledgehammers, birches, crabsticks, hickories, rattans, staves, switches, blackjacks, knobkerries, maces, bastinadoes, batons, bats, billies, billy clubs, bludgeons, canes, clubs, cudgels, nightsticks, rods, rungs (Scottish), saps, shillelaghs, staffs, truncheons, waddies (Australian)

Related Entry: Walking out (verb)

Walking out is a different word from Walking. The synonyms below are for walking out, not for walking.

  1. to leave a place often for another

    "we simply walked out after waiting half an hour for someone to come and serve us"

    similar: bailing, bailing out, booking (slang), buggering off (British slang), bugging off, bugging out, buzzing (off), clearing off (chiefly British), clearing out, cutting out, departing, digging out, exiting, getting, getting off, going, going off, moving, packing (up or off), parting, peeling off, piking (out or off), pulling out, pushing off, pushing on, quitting, running along, sallying (forth), scarpering (British), shoving (off), stepping (along), taking off, vamoosing, beating it, hitting the road, pulling stakes, taking a hike, taking a powder
    related: setting out, starting, striking out, absconding, decamping, escaping, evacuating, fleeing, flying, getting out, mizzling (chiefly British), running away, scatting, scramming, skipping, going out, lighting out, stepping out, abandoning, deserting, forsaking, vacating, emigrating, adjourning, removing, retiring, retreating, withdrawing
    opposite: arriving, coming, showing up, turning up
    near: abiding, dwelling, lodging, remaining, settling, staying, tarrying, approaching, closing, nearing, hitting, landing, reaching

  2. to refuse to work in order to force an employer to meet demands

    "the salesclerks walked out upon learning of the second pay cut in six months"

    similar: striking, walking
    related: sitting in, locking out

Related Entry: Walking away from (phrase)

Walking away from is a different word from Walking. The synonyms below are for walking away from, not for walking.

  1. to cause to remain behind

    "She decided to walk away from her job to go back to school."

    similar: abandoning, deserting, forsaking, leaving, marooning, quitting, stranding, walking out on
    related: discarding, ditching, dumping, flinging, jettisoning, junking, scrapping, shedding, shucking (off), throwing away, throwing out, delivering, giving up, handing over, relinquishing, surrendering, yielding, escaping, retreating (from), taking off (from), vacating, withdrawing (from), abjuring, cutting off, disowning, rejecting, renouncing, repudiating, separating (from), sacrificing, distancing, disregarding, forgetting, ignoring, neglecting
    opposite: reclaiming
    near: harboring, having, holding, keeping, owning, possessing, reserving, retaining, withholding, redeeming, rescuing, saving

Related Entry: Walking off with (phrase)

Walking off with is a different word from Walking. The synonyms below are for walking off with, not for walking.

  1. to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep

    "That thief just walked off with my wallet!"

    similar: appropriating, boosting (slang), filching, heisting, hooking, lifting, misappropriating, nicking (British slang), nipping, pilfering, pinching, pocketing, purloining, ripping off, snitching, stealing, swiping, thieving, making away with, making off with, running off with
    related: burglarizing, knocking over, robbing, looting, pillaging, plundering, sacking, carjacking, hijacking, picking, rifling, poaching, rustling, shoplifting, collaring, grabbing, grasping, nailing, seizing, snatching, taking, mooching, sponging, abducting, kidnapping, shanghaiing, spiriting
    near: buying, purchasing, bestowing, contributing, donating, giving, handing over, presenting

Related Entry: Walking on (phrase)

Walking on is a different word from Walking. The synonyms below are for walking on, not for walking.

  1. to take unfair advantage of

    "He dislikes people who are willing to walk on others to get ahead."

    similar: abusing, capitalizing (on), cashing in (on), exploiting, imposing (on or upon), leveraging, milking, pimping, playing (on or upon), using, working, trading on
    related: jerking around, manipulating, mistreating, bleeding, cheating, fleecing, overcharging, skinning, soaking, sticking, commercializing, commodifying

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Walking

The most common words with a similar meaning to Walking:

sauntering, strolling, traipsing, drifting, footloose, meandering, rambling, migrant, migratory, ambulant, ambulatory, errant, fugitive, gallivanting, itinerant, nomad, nomadic, perambulatory, peregrine, peripatetic, ranging, roaming, roving, vagabond, vagrant, wandering, wayfaring, ambulating, footing (it), hoofing (it), legging (it), padding, stepping, treading, striking, walking out

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Walking

Words with the opposite meaning of Walking:

immobile, nonmoving, settled, standing, static, stationary, motionless, still

Related Words for Walking

parading, promenading, marching, pacing, stepping out, striding, trooping, power walking, hiking, peregrinating, trekking, ambling, moseying, perambulating, clumping, stomping, stumping, tramping, trampling, tromping, footslogging, plodding, trudging, gimping, hobbling, limping, mincing, prancing, pussyfooting, tiptoeing

Origin & Etymology of Walking

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Walking

walking catfish, walking delegate, walking leaf, walking papers, walking pneumonia, walking stick, walking on air

Frequently Asked Questions about Walking

What does "Walking" mean?

"Walking" means the action of one that walks. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: the action of one that walks. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Walking"?

Other words for "Walking" include sauntering, strolling, traipsing, drifting, footloose, meandering, rambling and migrant. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Walking" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Walking"?

There are 88 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Walking". Common alternatives include sauntering, strolling, traipsing, drifting, footloose, meandering, rambling, migrant, migratory and ambulant.

What is the opposite of "Walking"?

Antonyms of "Walking" include immobile, nonmoving, settled, standing, static, stationary, motionless and still.

How do you use "Walking" in a sentence?

Examples of "Walking" in a sentence: "I walked slowly to school"; "workers threatened to walk unless management agreed to shoulder more of the cost of health insurance".

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

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

How do you pronounce "Walking"?

"Walking" is pronounced /ˈwȯ-kiŋ/ and divided into syllables as walk·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Walking"?

First known use: 14th century.