maunder

Maunder can mean to talk aimlessly or meaninglessly, as in I maundered for a minute until I regained my train of thought.

It can also mean to move or act aimlessly. This sense can be literal, as in Don’t maunder through the market—watch where you’re going, or figuratively, as in Don’t just maunder through life—have a plan! Either way, it suggests directionlessness.

Words that mean to talk aimlessly or meaninglessly include babble, ramble, prattle, prate, jabber, blather, and digress.

Words that mean to move aimlessly include meander, wander, and drift.

Some synonyms are appropriate for both senses of maunder, including meander and ramble.

The origin of the word maunder isn’t certain. It may come from an obsolete word meaning “to beg,” from the Latin mendīcāre. The first records of its use in English come from the early 1600s.

The sense of maunder meaning to talk aimlessly is more common than its movement sense, but neither one is commonly used.

Here are some examples of maunder in a sentence:

• Their favorite hobby was to maunder through the countryside until they got lost.
• Thomas maundered on about Bigfoot and radio waves until something distracted him.
• You don’t want to maunder through college, but you do want to allow yourself some time to discover what you’re interested in.