traipse

American  

[treyps] / treɪps /

Older Spelling, trapes

verb (used without object)

traipsed, traipsing

1. to walk or go aimlessly or idly or without finding or reaching one's goal.

   We traipsed all over town looking for a copy of the book.

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verb (used with object)

traipsed, traipsing

1. to walk over; tramp.

   to traipse the fields.

noun

1. a tiring walk.

traipse British  

/ treɪps /

verb

1. (intr) to walk heavily or tiredly

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noun

1. a long or tiring walk; trudge

Usage

Where does the word traipse come from? Traipse generally means "to wander aimlessly or idly while never reaching one's goal," as in Last night, they traipsed all over town trying to find a store that was still open. Well, you'll certainly wander aimlessly if you try to find the origin of the word traipse. The word is first recorded around 1585–95. It could be related to the verb tramp, and one can definitely traipse, or "walk over," something, such as fields or flowers. An alternative theory connects traipse to trespass, which originates from French. Traipse isn’t alone: it finds lots of company in other English words that seem simple but whose origins are not. Discover more in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."

Etymology

Origin of traipse

First recorded in 1585–95; earlier trapse, unexplained variant of trape, of disputed origin; perhaps obscurely akin to tramp

Explanation

To traipse is to walk around with a sloppy or aimless attitude. A bored high school student might traipse through a museum on a class trip, for example. When you traipse, you trudge in an exhausted or reluctant way. Picture several kids dutifully following their dad along a hiking path or walking a mile to school, and you'll have a good idea of what traipse means. We've used the word since the 16th century, but its origin isn't certain. Some scholars think traipse comes from the French trepasser, "to pass over," while others believe it started as an example of onomatopoeia, a word that sounds like what it means.

Example Sentences

“I had to come downstairs late at night in my pajamas to a kitchen filled with six people and traipse through them,” Glusac, a writer, said.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 22, 2025

A traipse to London is no longer a necessity.

From BBC • Sep. 27, 2024

Look for the whole crew to traipse up there over the next few weeks.

From Salon • May 10, 2024

But he’s about to traipse an even narrower rope.

From Slate • Jan. 30, 2024

Microphone cables crisscrossed the living room, posing an obstacle course for a pregnant Molly as she waited impatiently for Ernest to traipse home from campus.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• amble
• lumber
• meander
• plod
• prance
• roam
• stroll
• strut
• trudge
• wander