vagabond
Rootless itinerant soul
A vagabond is a person who wanders from place to place without a fixed home or regular work.
The word carries romantic connotations of freedom and adventure, but historically implied disreputability—someone on society's margins.
He spent his twenties as a vagabond, drifting through Europe.
As an adjective, vagabond describes anything wandering or unsettled: a vagabond life, vagabond thoughts.
Traveler, especially walking
- drifterAimless, rootless traveler
- roverDrifter or space explorer
- ramblerLeisurely rural hiker
- nomadHomeless wanderer by choice
itinerant · traveler · journeyer · pilgrim · globetrotter · backpacker · explorer · adventurer
Rejects prevailing social standards
- beatnikFifties counterculture member
- dropoutOne who quits early
- drifterAimless, rootless traveler
- unconventionalDeparting from standard practice
counterculture · hippie · rebel · artist · outsider · alternative · unmoored · transient
Itinerant without fixed address
- trampWandering homeless person
- bumIdle vagrant
- derelictAbandoned or neglectful
- beggarOne who asks for charity
panhandler · transient · outcast · squatter · down-and-out · swagman · bindle · flophouse
Homeless wanderer by choice
- BedouinMiddle Eastern nomadic herder
- RomaniNomadic ethnic group
- TravellerItinerant ethnic community member
- caravanTraveling group with goods
tribe · migration · pastoral · yurt · encampment · Tuareg · herding · steppe
Dishonest, unscrupulous person
- rascalLovable troublemaker
- ne'er-do-wellIrresponsible, idle person
- scalawagAffectionate term for rogue
- rapscallionMischievous person, usually endearing
knave · rogue · scamp · wastrel · good-for-nothing · layabout · idler · loafer
wayfarer
Traveler, especially walking
nomad · itinerant · traveler · journeyer · pilgrim · globetrotter · backpacker · explorer · adventurer · voyager
nonconformist
Rejects prevailing social standards
unconventional · counterculture · hippie · rebel · artist · outsider · alternative · unmoored · transient · restless
hobo
Itinerant without fixed address
beggar · panhandler · transient · outcast · squatter · down-and-out · swagman · bindle · flophouse · shelter
nomad
Homeless wanderer by choice
- BedouinMiddle Eastern nomadic herder
- RomaniNomadic ethnic group
- TravellerItinerant ethnic community member
caravan · tribe · migration · pastoral · yurt · encampment · Tuareg · herding · steppe · rootless
scoundrel
Dishonest, unscrupulous person
- rascalLovable troublemaker
- ne'er-do-wellIrresponsible, idle person
- scalawagAffectionate term for rogue
rapscallion · knave · rogue · scamp · wastrel · good-for-nothing · layabout · idler · loafer · shirker
vagabondresident
One who inhabits
homebody · settler · homeowner · dweller · inhabitant
vagabondworker
Person who toils
pillar of the community · laborer · breadwinner · wage earner · family man
- vagabond lifeHomeless wandering existence