wanderer
gb/wˈɔndɚɚ/ us/wˈɔndɚɚ/
B2
English
~ 9900
vándor, nyughatatlan ember, örök kereső
NOUN
B2
1
vándor
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a wanderer
He has always been a wanderer, sleeping in hostels and moving on whenever a town starts to feel familiar.
Mindig is vándor volt: turistaszállókon aludt, és továbbállt, valahányszor egy város kezdett túl ismerőssé válni.
As a young wanderer, she spent years hiking from village to village across the country.
Fiatal vándorként éveken át gyalogolt faluról falura szerte az országban.
The novel follows a solitary wanderer who crosses the desert in search of nothing in particular.
They met a friendly wanderer on the trail who had been walking across Europe for months.
After losing his job, he became a wanderer, traveling from city to city with just a backpack.
Learner examples
My uncle is a wanderer who travels all year.
A nagybátyám vándor, egész évben utazik.
The film is about a wanderer who walks across the mountains.
A film egy vándorról szól, aki átgyalogol a hegyeken.
She feels like a wanderer and does not want one home.
A wanderer often carries only a small bag.
We saw a wanderer sleeping by the road.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "wanderer" with "wonder" or "wonderer". "Wanderer" is from the verb "to wander" (to walk without a clear direction). It is not used to mean someone who thinks or feels surprise (that is "to wonder"). Also, do not say *"a wanderer person"*; say "a wanderer" or "a wandering person".
Meaning
person who moves around aimlessly
Collocations
a lone wanderer
|restless wanderer
|lifelong wanderer
|world wanderer
|eternal wanderer
|a wanderer at heart
Synonyms
drifter (Often suggests a person who moves around without steady work or plans, sometimes with a slightly negative tone.)
|
roamer (Very close in meaning; emphasizes moving around a wide area without a fixed route.)
|
nomad (Usually used for people or cultures who regularly move their home, often for work or tradition, not just for leisure.)
Antonyms
homebody (Describes someone who prefers to stay at home and not travel.)
|
resident (Focuses on having a fixed place of living, the opposite of moving from place to place.)
Themes
travel
|lifestyle
|identity
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who goes from place to place with no clear plan or home, usually moving slowly and looking around.
A person who travels or moves from place to place without a fixed destination, plan, or permanent home, often in a slow or relaxed way.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a wanderer [in life/in love]
In his twenties he was a wanderer, changing careers every year and never knowing what he truly wanted.
Huszonévesen nyughatatlan ember volt: évente pályát váltott, és sosem tudta, mit is akar igazán.
She calls herself a wanderer in love, moving from one intense relationship to another without settling down.
Azt mondja magáról, hogy a szerelemben is nyughatatlan, egyik heves kapcsolatból sodródik a másikba, anélkül hogy megállapodna.
The memoir tells the story of a spiritual wanderer who explores many religions but never fully commits to any of them.
He felt like a wanderer in life, always searching for a purpose that stayed just out of reach.
The song is about a lonely wanderer who cannot find a place where he feels he belongs.
Learner examples
She is a wanderer in life and always changes her plans.
Az életben nyughatatlan ember, és mindig változtat a tervein.
He was a wanderer in love and did not stay with one partner.
A szerelemben nyughatatlan volt, és nem maradt meg egyetlen partner mellett.
The book is about a young wanderer who looks for his place in the world.
I felt like a wanderer and did not know what I wanted.
He stopped being a wanderer when he found a job he loved.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this always means physical travel. In this literary sense, a "wanderer" can stay in one city but still feel lost or keep changing jobs, partners, or beliefs. Context such as "in life," "in love," or "spiritual" usually signals this figurative meaning.
Meaning
person who drifts through life
Collocations
a spiritual wanderer
|a moral wanderer
|a wanderer in love
|a wanderer in life
|an emotional wanderer
Synonyms
drifter (Often describes someone who lets life happen without plans or commitments, not just in travel but in work and relationships.)
|
searcher (Highlights that the person is actively looking for meaning or purpose, not just unable to commit.)
|
free spirit (More positive; suggests independence and dislike of rules, rather than lack of direction.)
Antonyms
settler (Suggests someone who chooses a place or way of life and stays with it.)
|
steady person (Describes someone stable and consistent in their choices, the opposite of a life wanderer.)
Themes
identity
|emotions
|relationships
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who cannot stay in one job, place, or relationship, and keeps changing their life, often still looking for where they belong.
A person who does not settle in one lifestyle, job, relationship, or set of beliefs, but keeps changing direction in life in an unfocused or searching way.
Grammar
Dictionary form
wanderer
IPA
GB/wˈɔndɚɚ/
US/wˈɔndɚɚ/
Syllables & stress
wan - der - er (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (wan)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: wanderer
- Plural: wanderers
Word family
Forms
wanderers
noun
Core family
wander
verb A2
wandering
adjective
Advanced or less common
wanderlust
noun
Expressions
a lone wanderer
1/ə lˈoʊn wˈɔndɚɚ/
fixed phrase
literary
a person who travels alone
A person who moves from place to place with no clear plan, and does this alone without friends or family.
Examples
- The film follows a lone wanderer crossing the empty plains on foot.
- On the dark road we saw a lone wanderer walking toward the city.
a restless wanderer
1/ə ɹˈɛstləs wˈɔndɚɚ/
fixed phrase
literary
person who cannot settle down
A person who keeps moving and changing places because they never feel calm or happy staying in one place.
Examples
- He described himself as a restless wanderer who could never stay long in any city.
- After the divorce she became a restless wanderer, changing countries every few months.