the distinctions (if there is any?) between to (stroll, roam, wander, ramble)

[euncu]

I looked up to confirm if I could find anything to distinct them but I couldn't. They all mean same to me. So, I'll really appreciate if the native-speaking members reply on how they use them (pick one over the others) when they talk or write in their daily lives ?

Thanks for your replies in advance.

[Barb_D]

Stroll to me just means to walk slowly for the pleasure of it. You can know exactly where you are going and still stroll.

I don't see much difference between roam and wander. No specific destination or path to get there.

I don't use ramble much.

[euncu]

Stroll to me just means to walk slowly for the pleasure of it. You can know exactly where you are going and still stroll.

I don't see much difference between roam and wander. No specific destination or path to get there.

I don't use ramble much.

So if I was to summarize what you said as the followings, would you regard my interpretations as correct?

Let's say, I'm going to a see a friend of mine, I get out of home and start walking to where I'm going to go, and I realise that there is a beatiful weather, the sun is shining, and there is also a mild breeze to cheering me up, etc. I think to myself I don't have to hurry and decide to take my time. So, is what I do now strolling instead of walking.


I'm home and bored to death and finally with an urge to get myself rid of those four walls seeming to closing in on me I get out and start walking for the sake of being outside not for going anywhere specific. So, it is roaming or wandering, am I right?


Thank you Barb_D for your previous reply and I'd be glad if you confirmed my interpretations.

PS: This doesn't mean that any other members' replies are not welcome.
I expect to hear from other members too.

[Soup]

I looked up to confirm if I could find anything to distinct them but I couldn't. They all mean same to me. So, I'll really appreciate if the native-speaking members reply on how they use them (pick one over the others) when they talk or write in their daily lives ?

Thanks for your replies in advance.

To me,

stroll: to take a slow, leisurely walk. People take strolls, not animals, but you can use the word stroll to describe an animal or person that moves without a care in the world; e.g., the cat/Sue strolled in after midnight.

roam: to move within the boundaries of a wide, open area such as a mall, a city, a field, or a house either by foot or by vehicle (people and animals roam); Max is roaming around the house looking for his glasses; the cows are roaming in the pasture.

wander: to walk here and there either without having a destination in mind; e.g., I'm going to wander around the mall for a while or having a destination in mind but not being able to find it; e.g., I wandered the streets for over an hour looking for an ATM.

ramble: I am not familiar with the meaning of ramble as I have never used that word before. I would have to look the word up in a dictionary to tell you what I think it means.

[euncu]

I don't use ramble much.

ramble: I am not familiar with the meaning of ramble as I have never used that word before. I would have to look the word up in a dictionary to tell you what I think it means.

Thanks for your answer Soup.

So, would I be correct if I concluded from the answers of the two members from the North America that the verb ramble is not common there? I wonder what our members from other English-speaking countries would say about it.

[5jj]

It's common enough in BrE. There is even an association for people who do it. Ramblers | Home

[riquecohen]

Thanks for your answer Soup.

So, would I be correct if I concluded from the answers of the two members from the North America that the verb ramble is not common there? I wonder what our members from other English-speaking countries would say about it.

Your conclusion about the use of ramble in AmE is correct. There is another use of this verb, frequently heard, which means "to talk or write disconnectedly, to wander from one subject to another." (Oxford American Dictionary)

[5jj]

There is another use of this verb, frequently heard, which means "to talk or write disconnectedly, to wander from one subject to another." (Oxford American Dictionary)

It's common in BrE, too.