Words / B2

WOND-uh/ˈwɒndə/

To wander is to walk without a clear route, or (of attention) to drift: wander off the question; wander the market. Stroll is leisurely walking; stray is more “go missing”. Do not let the argument wander. Mix-up: wonder is to be curious or amazed (already in the dictionary). Do not write wander for “ask yourself”.

Meaning

To walk slowly without a clear route; also (of the mind) to stop concentrating.

Examples

• “Do not let your argument wander off the question in the last paragraph.”
• “They wandered the old town after the oral, which is the walking sense.”

Good to know

wander off / around; wander the + place. Attention: wander. Trap: wonder. Essays and travel writing. Drift, not “be amazed”.

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