saunter

/ˈsɔntər/

/ˈsɔntə/

Other forms: sauntered; sauntering; saunters

To saunter is to stroll at a leisurely pace. The next time someone accuses you of dragging your feet and asks you to speed it up, calmly tell them that you’re perfecting your saunter.

A verb of unconfirmed origin, saunter means to “walk with a leisurely gait.” As a noun, saunter describes that leisurely gait. Henry David Thoreau once said “it is a great art to saunter.” So while crossing a busy street may not be the best time to test out your sauntering abilities, feel free to practice when you're not in a hurry.

Definitions of saunter

1. verb

   walk leisurely and with no apparent aim
   synonyms: stroll

   type of:

   walk

   use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
2. noun

   a careless leisurely gait
   “he walked with a kind of saunter as if he hadn't a care in the world”

   type of:

   gait

   a person's manner of walking
3. noun

   a leisurely walk (usually in some public place)
   synonyms: amble, perambulation, promenade, stroll

   types:

   meander, ramble

   an aimless amble on a winding course

   walkabout

   a public stroll by a celebrity to meet people informally

   type of:

   walk

   the act of walking somewhere