roam

/roum/

Thân thiện

The cattle roam across the prairie.

Definition

1. Verb:
   • To move about or travel without a fixed purpose, plan, or destination; to wander.

Usage

The verb "roam" describes the action of moving freely, often over a wide area. It implies a lack of a specific goal or direct path. It can be used both transitively (with a direct object) and intransitively (without a direct object). - Intransitive: The subject simply wanders. - The herds roam freely on the plains. - Transitive: The subject wanders over or through a particular area. - We roamed the streets of the old city.

Examples

• Intransitive use:
  • After retiring, they sold their house to roam the world.
  • Lions roam in search of prey.
• Transitive use:
  • She loved to roam the bookstore for hours.
  • Tourists roamed the historic district, taking photos.

Advanced Usage

• "roam free": To wander without restrictions or constraints.
  • The animals in this sanctuary are allowed to roam free.
• "roam over": To wander across or through a place; to cover an area while wandering. (Note: This is a prepositional verb, not a phrasal verb with a distinct meaning change).
  • His gaze roamed over the crowd, looking for a familiar face.

Variants and Related Words

• Roamer (noun): A person or thing that roams; a wanderer.
  • He was a lifelong roamer, never settling in one place.
• Roaming (noun/adj): The activity of moving about widely; used to describe a service (like mobile data) that works in different areas.
  • We turned off data roaming to avoid extra charges while traveling.

Synonyms

• Wander: To move about without a definite destination or purpose.
• Rove: To travel constantly without a fixed course; often suggests a wider range.
• Ramble: To walk for pleasure, often in the countryside.
• Drift: To move passively, often as carried by currents or circumstances.

Related Phrasal Verbs

(Note: "Roam" is not commonly used with particles to form phrasal verbs with distinct meanings. The core meaning is typically used with prepositions like "about," "around," "over," or "through.") - Roam about/around: To wander in a general area. - The children were allowed to roam about the safe, enclosed garden.

Related Idioms

• "Roam the earth": To travel extensively across the world.
  • In legends, the cursed knight was doomed to roam the earth for eternity.

Học thuật

Verb

1. move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
   • The gypsies roamed the woods
   • roving vagabonds
   • the wandering Jew
   • The cattle roam across the prairie
   • the laborers drift from one town to the next
   • They rolled from town to town