Wandering — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective noun verb /ˈwän-d(ə-)riŋ/ wan·der·ing

Meaning & Definition of Wandering

Wandering (adjective)

  1. characterized by aimless, slow, or pointless movement
  2. that winds or meanders
  3. not keeping a rational or sensible course, vagrant

Wandering (noun)

  1. a going about from place to place —often used in plural
  2. movement away from the proper, normal, or usual course or place —often used in plural

Wandering (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. passing from one topic to another

    "your decidedly wandering essay loses its punch—stick to one theme"

    similar: desultory, digressional, digressionary, digressive, discursive, excursive, leaping, maundering, meandering, rambling
    related: circuitous, deviating, devious, indirect, roundabout
    near: coherent, consistent, logical, direct, focused, straightforward, undeviating

  2. traveling from place to place

    "a wandering carnival that visited small towns all over the South"

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

Wandering (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to move about from place to place aimlessly

    "we just went outside and wandered around until it was time to go"

    similar: batting, cruising, drifting, floating, gadding (about), gallivanting, kicking around, knocking (about), maundering, meandering, mooching, rambling, ranging, roaming, roving, traipsing
    related: ambling, sauntering, strolling, dawdling, moping, hoboing, tramping, vagabonding, milling (about or around), straggling, straying

  2. to commit an offense

    "we have all wandered from the path of righteousness at least once in our lives"

    similar: erring, falling, offending, sinning, straying, transgressing, trespassing, breaking the law, falling from grace
    related: breaching, breaking, infringing, violating, backsliding, lapsing, messing up
    near: forgiving, justifying, pardoning, regretting, repenting, ruing

Related Entry: Wander (verb)

Wander is a different word from Wandering. The synonyms below are for wander, not for wandering.

  1. to move about from place to place aimlessly

    "we just went outside and wandered around until it was time to go"

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

  2. to commit an offense

    "we have all wandered from the path of righteousness at least once in our lives"

    similar: err, fall, offend, sin, stray, transgress, trespass, break the law, fall from grace
    related: breach, break, infringe, violate, backslide, lapse, mess up
    near: forgive, justify, pardon, regret, repent, rue

Related Entry: Wandering (into) (verb)

Wandering (into) is a different word from Wandering. The synonyms below are for wandering (into), not for wandering.

  1. as in straying (into)

    similar: straying (into), dropping in, popping (in), crashing, encroaching, gate-crashing, infiltrating, infringing, intruding, invading, trespassing, barging (in), breezing (in), bursting (in or into), waltzing (in), accessing, entering, penetrating, piercing
    opposite: departing, exiting, leaving

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Wandering

The most common words with a similar meaning to Wandering:

desultory, digressional, digressionary, digressive, discursive, excursive, leaping, maundering, meandering, rambling, ambulant, ambulatory, errant, fugitive, gallivanting, itinerant, nomad, nomadic, perambulatory, peregrine, peripatetic, ranging, roaming, roving, vagabond, vagrant, wayfaring, on the move, batting, cruising, drifting, floating, gadding (about), kicking around, knocking (about), mooching, traipsing, erring, falling, offending

Related Words for Wandering

circuitous, deviating, devious, indirect, roundabout, footloose, sauntering, strolling, walking, migrant, migratory, ambling, dawdling, moping, hoboing, tramping, vagabonding, milling (about or around), straggling, breaching, breaking, infringing, violating, backsliding, lapsing, messing up

Near Antonyms of Wandering

coherent, consistent, logical, direct, focused, straightforward, undeviating, immobile, nonmoving, settled, standing, static, stationary, motionless, still, forgiving, justifying, pardoning, regretting, repenting, ruing

Origin & Etymology of Wandering

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Wandering

wandering albatross, wandering dude, Wandering Jew, wandering eye

Frequently Asked Questions about Wandering

What does "Wandering" mean?

"Wandering" means characterized by aimless, slow, or pointless movement. As an an adjective, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: characterized by aimless, slow, or pointless movement. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Wandering"?

Other words for "Wandering" include desultory, digressional, digressionary, digressive, discursive, excursive, leaping and maundering. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Wandering" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Wandering"?

There are 72 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Wandering". Common alternatives include desultory, digressional, digressionary, digressive, discursive, excursive, leaping, maundering, meandering and rambling.

How do you use "Wandering" in a sentence?

Examples of "Wandering" in a sentence: "your decidedly wandering essay loses its punch—stick to one theme"; "a wandering carnival that visited small towns all over the South"; "we just went outside and wandered around until it was time to go".

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

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

How do you pronounce "Wandering"?

"Wandering" is pronounced /ˈwän-d(ə-)riŋ/ and divided into syllables as wan·der·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Wandering"?

First known use: before 12th century.

What is another word for "Wandering" meaning "passing from one topic to another"?

When "Wandering" (adjective) means passing from one topic to another, synonyms include desultory, digressional, digressionary, digressive, discursive and excursive.