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wayfarer

wayfarer

2 7.6
A person who travels on foot from place to place
  • noun
  • /ˈweɪˌfɛrər/
translation icon : viajero
  • As the sun set, the wayfarer continued his journey, eager to reach the next village.
  • Wayfarer sunglasses

Examples

  • At the sight of the wayfarers, she called out to them.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Scripture gives the church its message and the bread it offers to human wayfarers.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Now there came a wayfarer to the rich man asking meat.

  • Many a wayfarer before me has stood in this same place.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • You pick up a solitary wayfarer on the road.

  • Where had these wayfarers come from?

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Greetings, Witches, Wayfarers, and those who walk the path of the Ancients.

    Blog text (31)
  • Restful rhythms for weary wayfarers.

  • And the few thorn trees were swarming with wasps, depriving the weary wayfarer of the bit of shade he longed for.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • And... I’d spend hours just spinning it slowly, reading the names of all those strange, faraway places-- Morocco, Spain, Ethiopia-- dreaming that someday I would go to those places, like a wayfarer... a traveler... a vagabond.

Synonyms

voyager
vswayfarer
650 6.1

A person who travels far on long, adventurous journeys

is more modest, meaning simple walking travel between nearby places
traveler
vswayfarer
  • US
286 1.0

A person who often goes from place to place

emphasizes movement specifically on foot rather than general travel
hiker
vswayfarer
48 1.3

A person who walks for a long time in the countryside for pleasure or exercise

refers to any travel on foot between places rather than recreational hikes
drifter
vswayfarer
46 5.9

A person who moves from place to place and has no permanent home or steady job

is travel on foot with movement between places, not lack of stability
walker
vswayfarer
33 1.0

A person who moves on foot for exercise or pleasure

focuses on travel between places on foot rather than exercise walks
wanderer
vswayfarer
23 3.9

A person who travels without a fixed home or purpose

suggests deliberate travel on foot between places rather than rootless wandering
backpacker
vswayfarer
10 2.8

A person who travels carrying their things in a bag on their back, often for long, cheap trips

is simpler foot travel between places, not specifically about carrying gear
trekker
vswayfarer
8 7.1

A person who walks on a long hard trip through mountains or remote places

covers ordinary foot travel rather than challenging long expeditions
rover
vswayfarer
6 7.0

A person who moves from place to place and has no fixed home

implies purposeful walking travel between places rather than aimless wandering
world traveler
vswayfarer
  • US
5 2.9

A person who goes to many countries around the world

is limited to moving between places on foot, not wide global travel
trav
vswayfarer
  • UK
3 9.9

A person who goes to different places for pleasure or adventure

is neutral term for walking between places rather than pleasure trips
globetrotter
vswayfarer
3 4.7

A person who often travels to many different countries

describes local or regional walking travel rather than global frequent travel
worlder
vswayfarer
2 7.9

A person who has lived in many different countries

refers to moving on foot between places rather than extensive world experience
roamer
vswayfarer
1 5.1

A person who moves from place to place without staying long

is travel between places on foot rather than aimless movement without settling
itinerant
vswayfarer
1 8.0

A person who goes from place to place to find work

is travel on foot for any reason rather than work specific trips
journeyer
vswayfarer
1 6.0

A person who travels from one place to another

highlights particularly walking between places rather than any mode of travel
viator
vswayfarer
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A person who is traveling from one place to another

is the everyday term for a person moving between places on foot
tramper
vswayfarer
  • New Zealand
7.6

A person who goes on long walks in the countryside for pleasure

is broader, meaning travel between places on foot not only countryside hikes
peripatetic
vswayfarer
9.5

A person who travels from place to place for work

is general travel on foot rather than travel done for work
farer
vswayfarer
  • Archaic
9.8

A person who travels long distances, often by sea

means traveling between places on foot rather than long distance or sea travel

Antonyms

8 5.5

A person who likes to stay at home rather than go out

How Mobile

nomad
27 4.4
traveler
  • US
286 1.0
wayfarer
2 7.6
walker
33 1.0
tripper
  • UK
4 4.8
homebody
8 5.5

Surface Forms

wayfarer singular
wayfarers plural

Morphology

wayfarer = wayfare (transparent) = way + fare + er

Formed from way + fare → wayfare (to travel) + -er, so the agentive meaning 'person who travels' is directly derivable.

Etymology

Wayfarer comes from two simple words, way and fare, where fare once meant 'to travel' or 'go'. So a wayfarer is literally someone who 'travels the way', a person who goes from place to place, often on foot.