Meaning & use
sauntered
Last updated
“sauntered” is a form of “saunter”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitive
Walked in a slow, relaxed way, as if you had plenty of time and no particular hurry.
Grammar: No object; it describes how someone moves, often followed by an adverb or preposition: sauntered along, sauntered into the room.
Patterns
- sauntered along something
- sauntered into somewhere
- sauntered past someone
- sauntered over to someone
She sauntered along the beach with her hands in her pockets.
He sauntered into the meeting ten minutes late, completely calm.
The cat sauntered across the yard and ignored us completely.
Word forms
| base form | saunter |
|---|---|
| third person singular | saunters |
| present participle | sauntering |
| past tense | sauntered |
| past participle | sauntered |
Common combinations
- saunter along
- They sauntered along the river path, talking about nothing in particular.
- saunter into a room
- She sauntered into the room as if she owned the place.
- saunter past
- A couple of tourists sauntered past our table.
- saunter over to
- He sauntered over to the bar and ordered a drink.
- saunter down the street
- We sauntered down the street, enjoying the warm evening.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stroll
- Very close in meaning, but 'stroll' suggests a pleasant walk for pleasure, while 'saunter' emphasizes a relaxed, slightly confident manner.
- amble
- Also means to walk slowly and easily, but it often suggests an unhurried, gentle pace rather than a confident one.
- wander
- Suggests walking without a clear direction or purpose; 'saunter' is about style and pace, not about being lost.
- stride
- Means to walk with long, firm steps and usually suggests energy or purpose, the opposite feeling from sauntering.
Opposites
Word family
- saunter verb
- The base form: to walk slowly and in a relaxed way.
- saunter noun
- A slow, relaxed walk, usually in the phrase 'a saunter'.
- sauntering adjective
- Describing someone who is walking in this relaxed way, as in 'a sauntering gait'.
Commonly confused: sauntered or saunter/santer?
sauntered vs saunter/santer
'Saunter' has the 'aw' vowel sound of 'lawn'. Do not confuse it with 'santer', which is not a standard English word, or with 'sander', a machine for smoothing wood.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'sauntered' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Saunter' is intransitive, so it describes how someone walks and takes no object. 'Sauntered along the pier' fits this pattern, while the other options wrongly give it a direct object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sauntered”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.