wander

/ˈwɑndər/

/ˈwɒndə/

Other forms: wandering; wandered; wanders

The verb wander describes something that has lost track. If you're watching a boring movie, your mind might begin to wander. If you don't have a clear goal, you could wander too — meaning you drift aimlessly.

When you wander mentally, your thoughts get lost. And when you wander physically, you don't have a destination, so it's also possible to lose your bearings and not know where you are — or how to get back. That's why wander is also used to describe someone who drifts from place to place or job to job without a sense of direction or purpose.

Definitions of wander

1. verb

   move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
   “sometimes, the gout wanders through the entire body”

   synonyms: meander, thread, weave, wind

   types:

   snake

   move along a winding path

   type of:

   go, locomote, move, travel

   change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
2. verb

   go via an indirect route or at no set pace
   “After dinner, we wandered into town”

   synonyms:

   cast, drift, ramble, range, roam, roll, rove, stray, swan, tramp, vagabond

   move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment

   meander, thread, weave, wind

   move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course

   type of:

   continue, go forward, proceed

   move ahead; travel onward in time or space
3. verb

   move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
   synonyms: cast, drift, ramble, range, roam, roll, rove, stray, swan, tramp, vagabond

   drift, err, stray

   wander from a direct course or at random

   types:

   maunder

   wander aimlessly

   gad, gallivant, jazz around

   wander aimlessly in search of pleasure

   type of:

   go, locomote, move, travel

   change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
4. verb

   lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking
   “her mind wanders”

   synonyms: digress, divagate, stray

   type of:

   tell

   let something be known
5. verb

   be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage
   synonyms: betray, cheat, cheat on, cuckold

   types:

   two-time

   carry on a romantic relationship with two people at the same time

   fool around, play around

   commit adultery

   type of:

   cozen, deceive, delude, lead on

   be false to; be dishonest with