roam

American  

[rohm] / roʊm /

verb (used without object)

1. to walk, go, or travel without a fixed purpose or direction; ramble; wander; rove.

   to roam about the world.

   Synonyms:

   prowl , stroll , stray

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verb (used with object)

1. to wander over or through.

   to roam the countryside.

noun

1. an act or instance of roaming; a ramble.

roam British  

/ rəʊm /

verb

1. to travel or walk about with no fixed purpose or direction; wander

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noun

1. the act of roaming

Related Words

Roam, ramble, range, rove imply wandering about over (usually) a considerable amount of territory. Roam implies a wandering or traveling over a large area, especially as prompted by restlessness or curiosity: to roam through a forest. Ramble implies pleasant, carefree moving about, walking with no specific purpose and for a limited distance: to ramble through fields near home. Range usually implies wandering over a more or less defined but extensive area in search of something: Cattle range over the plains. Rove sometimes implies wandering with specific incentive or aim, as an animal for prey: Bandits rove through these mountains.

Other Word Forms

• roamer noun
• unroaming adjective

Etymology

Origin of roam

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English romen origin uncertain

Example Sentences

For the most part, the bear keeps to itself and is not aggressive — some neighbors have seen it roam the area before, Johnson said.

From Los Angeles Times

Rescued gobblers and hens roamed while visitors to the six-acre spread were able to pet and feed them.

From Los Angeles Times

Another family that Bank of America worked with put a priority on travel, as parents explicitly stated they hoped the children would tap funds to roam the world.

From The Wall Street Journal

The image created with artificial intelligence showed a bear roaming around a residential area at night.

From Barron's

Electricity is provided from solar panels, while the toilet is compostable and located in a shack outside, where a donkey, horse, dogs, cats, chickens and ducks roam a clearing among the trees.

From Barron's

Related Words

• drift
• meander
• prowl
• ramble
• saunter
• stray
• stroll
• traipse
• tramp
• trek