stroll

/stroʊl/
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Easy walking for pleasure or casual movement, the walk itself, and an older sense of roaming from place to place for work or gain.

Examples

  • That historical sense survives mostly in phrases about strolling performers.
  • We strolled along the riverbank at sunset.
  • After dinner, they strolled hand in hand through the park.
  • He strolled into the cafe, greeting everyone with a smile.
  • Old records describe musicians who strolled from town to town for pay.

Similar words

wander
ramble
wander
wander
travel
saunter
roam
amble
walk
promenade

Meanings

Walk slowly and easily

verb
everyday
neutral
To walk at a relaxed pace, usually for pleasure, idleness, or casual movement rather than urgency.

Usage

Use stroll when the pace feels easy and unhurried. It often suggests enjoyment, browsing, or casual arrival.

Examples

  • We strolled along the riverbank at sunset.
  • She likes to stroll through the market on weekends.
  • After dinner, they strolled hand in hand through the park.
  • He strolled into the cafe, greeting everyone with a smile.
  • The tourists strolled around the historic district, taking photos.

Common mistakes

Fast or purposeful movement is described with stroll when a quicker verb is needed.
IncorrectCorrect
We strolled to the emergency room. We hurried to the emergency room.
She strolled her dog before work. She walked her dog before work.
He strolled into the meeting in a panic. He rushed into the meeting in a panic.
They strolled the 100-metre race. They ran the 100-metre race.

Similar words

A relaxed walk

noun
everyday
neutral
A slow, easy walk taken for pleasure, rest, light exercise, or a casual look around a place.

Usage

Use stroll for the walk as an event, especially with verbs such as take, go for, or enjoy.

Examples

  • A gentle stroll through the garden can clear the mind.
  • They went for a stroll after dinner.
  • The stroll along the beach was perfect at sunrise.
  • She invited him for a stroll in the park on Saturday.
  • His daily stroll around the block keeps him active.

Common mistakes

The noun is forced into contexts that need walk, run, or march instead.
IncorrectCorrect
We made a stroll after dinner. We went for a stroll after dinner.
The stroll took only ten seconds. The walk took only ten seconds.
The soldiers began a long stroll through the mud. The soldiers began a long march through the mud.
She took a stroll to finish the marathon. She took a run to finish the marathon.

Similar words

Roam for work or gain

verb
historical
archaic
To move from place to place in search of work, profit, or livelihood, a historical use now seen mainly in phrases about itinerant performers.

Usage

Use stroll in this sense only for historical or literary contexts. Modern job hunting normally needs look for work, travel, or perform as an itinerant.

Examples

  • Old records describe musicians who strolled from town to town for pay.
  • The strolling players performed wherever they could find an audience.
  • In the poem, a beggar strolls the roads in search of coins.
  • The law used stroll for people roaming without settled work.
  • That historical sense survives mostly in phrases about strolling performers.

Common mistakes

The archaic roaming sense is applied to ordinary modern job searches.
IncorrectCorrect
He strolled for a new job online. He looked for a new job online.
A strolling musician is simply a lazy musician. A strolling musician is an itinerant musician.
The company strolled candidates for the role. The company recruited candidates for the role.
She strolled the market to earn a salary. She worked in the market to earn a salary.

Similar words

Usage

Use stroll for slow, relaxed walking and reserve the older work-and-profit sense for historical wording such as strolling players.

Common mistakes

Stroll is used for urgent, forced, or highly purposeful movement when hurry, run, walk, or march would fit better.

Etymology

A cant word recorded around 1600 for roaming or wandering without a home. Its origin is uncertain, but it is probably connected with dialectal German strollen or strolchen, from Strolch, meaning a vagabond or rascal.

FAQ

What does stroll mean?

Stroll usually means to walk slowly and easily, often for pleasure. It can also name the relaxed walk itself.

Is stroll a verb or a noun?

Stroll is both. Someone can stroll through a park, and that walk can be called a stroll.

Does stroll mean walking fast?

No. Stroll suggests an easy, unhurried pace, so fast movement normally needs hurry, rush, or run.

Can stroll be transitive?

Yes. Phrases such as stroll the streets or stroll the beach mean to walk leisurely along or through those places.

What does strolling player mean?

A strolling player was an itinerant performer who travelled from place to place for work or pay.

Where does stroll come from?

Stroll began as early modern cant for roaming, probably connected with dialectal German words for wandering or a vagabond.

What are good synonyms for stroll?

Common synonyms include amble, saunter, wander, ramble, and promenade, depending on pace and tone.

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