saunter

verb

saun·​ter ˈsȯn-tər How to pronounce saunter (audio)
ˈsän-
sauntered; sauntering; saunters
Synonyms of saunter

intransitive verb

: to walk about in an idle or leisurely manner : stroll
sauntered slowly down the street
saunter noun
saunterer
ˈsȯn-tər-ər How to pronounce saunter (audio)
ˈsän-
noun

Synonyms of saunter

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of saunter in a Sentence

They sauntered slowly down the street. He sauntered into the store.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The reality star sauntered alongside a number of VS supermodels, including new mother Barbara Palvin and rising superstar Tate McRae. — Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2026 Dixie D’Amelio sauntered in wearing a shimmering black Gucci dress. — Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 2 Oct. 2026 From Carol Burnett to Cher, Tina Turner, Lola Falana, Diana Ross and Elton John, one had to embody a particular level of confidence to saunter and shimmy across the stage and red carpet in one of his iconic, over-the-top beaded concoctions. — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026 Most coaches saunter off the podium after answering questions. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for saunter

Word History

Etymology

probably from Middle English santren to muse

First Known Use

circa 1667, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saunter was circa 1667

Browse Nearby Words

saunderswood
saunter
saunterer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Saunter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saunter. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

saunter

verb
saun·​ter ˈsȯnt-ər How to pronounce saunter (audio)
ˈsänt-
: to walk along in an idle or leisurely manner : stroll
saunter noun
saunterer
-ər-ər How to pronounce saunter (audio)
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of jilt

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All