wander off
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
In simple words
Walk away slowly without really thinking about it, or stop paying attention.
Literal meaning: To wander and go away.
Meanings
1 B1 neutral
To move away from a group, path, or place in an aimless or unintentional way.
"Keep an eye on the children — they tend to wander off if you're not watching."
Grammar: inseparable
2 B1
idiomatic
neutral
For a person's mind, attention, or thoughts to drift away from the subject at hand.
"Her mind kept wandering off during the lecture — she was thinking about the weekend."
Grammar: inseparable
Usage notes
Used both literally (a child wandering away from their parents) and figuratively (a mind wandering off during a meeting). Often implies a lack of focus rather than intentional departure.
Commonly used with
child mind attention thoughts path group
Forms
Base
wander off
I/you/we/they
3rd person
wanders off
he/she/it
Past simple
wandered off
yesterday
Past participle
wandered off
have + pp
-ing form
wandering off
continuous
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Synonyms
stray drift roam off meander away go astray
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