vagabond 1 of 3

noun

ˈva-gə-ˌbänd How to pronounce vagabond (audio)
Definition of vagabondnext
1
as in hobo
a homeless wanderer who may beg or steal for a living be wary of the vagabonds in that corner of the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in nomad
a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination after they retired, the couple bought an RV and became footloose vagabonds

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

vagabond

2 of 3

adjective

as in nomadic
traveling from place to place a vagabond group of entertainers that performed in rough-and-tumble mining towns

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

vagabond

3 of 3

verb

as in to tramp

Related Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of vagabond
Noun
Astronomers reckon there could be a whole bunch of these vagabond rogue planets out there, maybe as many as 21 for every star in our Milky Way galaxy. — Paul Sutter, Space.com, 21 Mar. 2026 Long the purview of vagabond surfers, its coastline is peppered with small towns, like Venao, Guanico, and Cambutal, that are in various stages of being reshaped by bohemian expats. — David Amsden, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Dec. 2025
Adjective
The coaches are no different—and have been vagabond for longer. — Max Olson, The Athletic, 12 July 2024 There are records of albatrosses spending decades living as vagabond singletons in the wrong hemisphere, Lees said. — Arkansas Online, 7 Nov. 2021
Verb
The jam band scene – long reigned over by groups like the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band – exploded in the Nineties as newer artists like Phish and Widespread Panic began filling arenas and fomenting their own rabid vagabonding fanbases. — Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 9 July 2025 In 1978, Wenner sold the magazine to Larry Burke, a young man from Chicago who had spent a chunk of his twenties vagabonding around Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vagabond
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vagabond
  1. hobo
  2. nomad
  3. nomadic
  4. tramp
  5. beggar
  6. wanderer
  7. bum
  8. traveler
Noun
  • That deal includes handbags, fashion backpacks, hobos, totes, crossbody bags, sling bags, satchels, duffel bags and boot bags, along with belts, wallets, wristlets, passport cases and key chains.
    — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Carl Sandburg’s 1927 American Songbag featured a whole section of hobo songs presenting the bum as a beau ideal.
    — Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of hobo
Noun
  • View gallery - 7 images With its XL dimensions and lack of wheels to tow it, this cottage-like tiny house isn't the best fit for would-be nomads.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The region’s majority Ngok Dinka population favors joining South Sudan, while Misseriya nomads who use its pastures favor Sudan.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of nomad
Adjective
  • But his nomadic lifestyle was not some monastic attempt to avoid selling out.
    — Jack Denton, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Years ago, Maximilian Schnell left his job and his life in Paris and began a nomadic lifestyle on his bicycle.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of nomadic
Verb
  • Plant-eating dinos that looked like huge, armored lizards left those footprints while tramping near the coastline of a vast Western Interior Seaway that extended into Colorado.
    — Kristen Kidd, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Days or weeks passed, but then the dog barked, the mail carrier tramped onto the porch, the mailbox clattered.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026
Definition of tramp
Noun
  • Dhaka’s rundown streets peppered with the homeless, vendors and child beggars.
    — Miriam Balanescu, IndieWire, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Robert Pattinson’s big outburst in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey,’ has gone viral—here’s the ‘beggars’ meme, explained.
    — Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of beggar
Noun
  • Connecting with this odd population of wanderers is one of the surprise pleasures of our annual Bishop trip.
    — Brian Laidlaw, Longreads, 1 Sep. 2026
  • My eight women are divided into wanderers, rebels, explorers, and mentors.
    — Anne E. Fernald, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of wanderer
Noun
  • Zellers poured the foundation, and Morrison hired fellow ski bums to do the framing, masonry, and tiling.
    — Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Carl Sandburg’s 1927 American Songbag featured a whole section of hobo songs presenting the bum as a beau ideal.
    — Caroline Fraser, The New York Review of Books, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of bum
Noun
  • Under the new measures announced Sunday, nonessential Congolese travelers will be returned through the nearest border crossing at their own expense, while those entering illegally face prosecution, the Ugandan ministry said.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, Sacramento County Department of Airports spokesperson Lindsay Myers said travelers will be able to access the new six-story parking garage starting one week before the holiday season.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of traveler

Browse Nearby Words

vacuums
vagabond
vagabonded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vagabond.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vagabond. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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