verb
noun
-
a leisurely pace or stroll
-
a leisurely old-time dance
Other Word Forms
- saunterer noun
Etymology
Origin of saunter
First recorded in 1660–70; of uncertain origin
Explanation
To saunter is to stroll at a leisurely pace. The next time someone accuses you of dragging your feet and asks you to speed it up, calmly tell them that you’re perfecting your saunter. A verb of unconfirmed origin, saunter means to “walk with a leisurely gait.” As a noun, saunter describes that leisurely gait. Henry David Thoreau once said “it is a great art to saunter.” So while crossing a busy street may not be the best time to test out your sauntering abilities, feel free to practice when you're not in a hurry.
Vocabulary lists containing saunter
Touching Spirit Bear
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Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
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"The Devil and Tom Walker" by Washington Irving
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And while he was once among the fastest players in the majors, he now moves at a purposeful saunter rather than a sprint.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2025
Picking one up on my walk home has become a little ritual — cold bottle, hot face, slow saunter.
From Salon • Jul. 8, 2025
The 37-year-old former England scrum-half turned provider at the end of the first half, a lovely delayed pass allowing Dombrandt to saunter in for the third try.
From BBC • Dec. 14, 2024
When the cows have eaten through one plot, he yanks up a few stakes and lowers the wire, and the animals saunter into the new area.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2023
I couldn’t just saunter up to the door of these refined Philadelphians and ask to have tea with the Maple Tree.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
