Wander vs. Stray — What's the Difference?

Walk or move in a leisurely or aimless way

Move away aimlessly from a group or from the right course or place

Move slowly away from a fixed point or place

Not in the right place; separated from the group or target

Be unfaithful to one's regular sexual partner

(of a physical quantity) arising as a consequence of the laws of physics, but unwanted and usually having a detrimental effect on the operation of equipment

An act or instance of wandering

A stray person or thing, especially a domestic animal.

To move about without a definite destination or purpose.

Electrical phenomena interfering with radio reception.

To go by an indirect route or at no set pace; amble

To move away from a group, deviate from a course, or escape from established limits

To proceed in an irregular course; meander

To move without a destination or purpose; wander

To behave in a manner that does not conform to morality or norms

To be directed without apparent purpose; look in an idle or casual manner

To turn the attention from one subject to another with little clarity or coherence of thought

To follow a winding or erratic course

To be directed without an object or in various directions

To act contrary to moral or proper behavior, especially in being sexually unfaithful

To wander across or through

To become diverted, as from a subject or train of thought

To be directed around or over

One that has strayed, especially a domestic animal wandering about.

The act or an instance of wandering.

Straying or having strayed; wandering or lost

(intransitive) To move without purpose or specified destination; often in search of livelihood.

Scattered or separate

(intransitive) To stray; stray from one's course; err.

Any domestic animal that has no enclosure nor proper place and company, but that instead wanders at large or is lost; an estray.

(intransitive) To commit adultery.

One who is lost, literally or figuratively.

(intransitive) To go somewhere indirectly or at varying speeds; to move in a curved path.

An act of wandering off or going astray.

(intransitive) Of the mind, to lose focus or clarity of argument or attention.

(historical) An area of common land for use by domestic animals generally.

(countable) An act or instance of wandering.

(radio) An instance of atmospheric interference.

(uncountable) The situation where a value or signal etc. deviates from the correct or normal value.

(intransitive) To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.

To ramble here and there without any certain course or with no definite object in view; to range about; to stroll; to rove; as, to wander over the fields.

(intransitive) To wander from company or outside proper limits; to rove or roam at large; to go astray.

To go away; to depart; to stray off; to deviate; to go astray; as, a writer wanders from his subject.

(intransitive) To wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err.

To be delirious; not to be under the guidance of reason; to rave; as, the mind wanders.

(transitive) To cause to stray; lead astray.

To travel over without a certain course; to traverse; to stroll through.

Having gone astray; strayed; wandering

Move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment;

In the wrong place; misplaced.

Be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage;

To wander, as from a direct course; to deviate, or go out of the way.

Go via an indirect route or at no set pace;

To wander from company, or from the proper limits; to rove at large; to roam; to go astray.

To move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course;

Figuratively, to wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err.

Lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking;

To cause to stray.

Having gone astray; strayed; wandering; as, a strayhorse or sheep.

Any domestic animal that has an inclosure, or its proper place and company, and wanders at large, or is lost; an estray. Used also figuratively.

The act of wandering or going astray.

Homeless cat

Move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment;

Wander from a direct course or at random;

Lose clarity or turn aside especially from the main subject of attention or course of argument in writing, thinking, or speaking;

Not close together in time;