wandered

Wandered is the past tense and past participle of the verb wander. It describes the act of moving about without a fixed destination or purpose, often in a leisurely or exploratory way. It can also refer to drifting away from a course, plan, or topic, either physically or mentally.

The verb originates in Old English and is cognate with related words in other Germanic languages. Over time, its sense broadened from simple travel to include wandering attention and metaphorical wandering.

Common uses include physical movement, such as "They wandered through the city," and mental drift, as in "Her thoughts wandered during the lecture." The form can convey curiosity, aimlessness, or the absence of strict rules or destinations. Wandered contrasts with verbs such as stay, settle, or focus.

Related forms include wander, wandering, and wanderer, as well as the noun wanderlust, which denotes a strong desire to travel. In idiomatic expressions, one can say "to let one's mind wander" or "to wander off topic," which apply the same core idea to different contexts.