errant

adjective

ˈer-ənt How to pronounce errant (audio)
Definition of errantnext
1
as in mischievous
engaging in or marked by childish misbehavior blamed the prank on errant students

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in nomadic
traveling from place to place the errant gunslinger as a standard character in western novels

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 errant Suarez had Miami’s only shot on goal in the first half, but his errant close-range shot missed to the right in the 19th minute. — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 23 Aug. 2026 Interjecting the bidding with inane questions or other comments about other managers’ rosters or the errant wisdom of their previous bids is highly encouraged to distract other bidders or disrupt any manager counting down in their heads. — Sports Betting, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026 With the help of international astronomy professionals and hobbyists, the center tracked the errant upper stage for months, then gradually honed their assessments to identify potential impact locations. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Aug. 2026 Prescott was mostly productive on the day, but a couple of errant throws were also present. — Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for errant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for errant
  1. mischievous
  2. nomadic
  3. naughty
  4. nomad
  5. bad
Adjective
  • Paramount Great Again hat, but didn’t expect the mischievous executive to turn up in Edinburgh wearing the headgear.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Reports from across the UK show the mischievous character lurking outside windows and startling passersby.
    — Gina Park, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of mischievous
Adjective
  • Anna Shaverni, a 25-year-old nomadic traveler who's visited 38 countries in three years, experienced it in Japan.
    — Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Rome works remotely, and the couple have been living a nomadic lifestyle without a house or a car of their own for over 16 years.
    — Scott Laird, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of nomadic
Adjective
  • Romantic, criminal and naughty hijinks ensue and bonds are tested — and ultimately reinforced.
    — Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Queen Elizabeth—long known as a lover of horses—was a frequent recipient of the pony’s naughty side, like in 2017, when Corporal Cruachan attempted to take a bite of the flowers the queen was holding during a visit to Stirling Castle.
    — Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of naughty
Adjective
  • Dinners take place in traditional nomad tents around the communal fire pit, and range from steaming hot pots with yak meat, mushrooms and tofu to haute-Tibetan tasting menus with wild vegetables in corn foam, tsampa grissini, and lamb shoulder with yak yogurt glaze and salsa verde.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Apr. 2026
  • New this season are nomad-style cooking workshops, starlit movies for younger campers, and sunrise hawk walks.
    — Katharina Kotrba, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
Definition of nomad
Adjective
  • The accident was one of the Portuguese capital’s worst tragedies in recent memory and cast a shadow over the city’s ongoing tourism boom.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026
  • The must-read Falling during a hike can lead to a serious injury, or even worse.
    — Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of bad

Browse Nearby Words

errands
errant
erratic
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP

Cite this Entry

“Errant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/errant. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
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
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All