roam

IPA/rəʊm/
KK[rˈom]IPA/rəʊm/

roam — verb

  • roampresent simple I / you / we / they
  • roamshe / she / it
  • roamedpast simple
  • roaming-ing form

1. to go from one place to another with no particular plan or goal in mind, often f

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B1
釋義

to go from one place to another with no particular plan or goal in mind, often for enjoyment or out of curiosity

例句

Astrid and her brother roamed the hills behind their village every weekend.

roam + place as direct object

The stray dogs roamed the empty market square looking for food.

inanimate subject with roam + place

同義詞
  • wander

    more general; suggests casual, unhurried movement without a specific goal

  • stroll

    implies a slow, relaxed walk, usually at a leisurely pace

  • ramble

    often suggests a long walk in the countryside for pleasure

反義詞
  • stay

    to remain in one place rather than moving around

  • settle

    to establish a fixed home rather than moving from place to place

文法句型

roam + [place]

roam around/through + [place]

用法筆記

This sense can take a place as a direct object (roam the countryside) or be used with prepositions like around, through, or across. Subject is often a person or animal moving freely.

常見錯誤

❌I roamed to the shop.
✅I roamed around the shop.
💡For movement between specific points, use walk or go; roam emphasises covering an area without a fixed endpoint.
❌She roamed the book quickly.
✅She roamed through the book quickly.
💡Roam is not used for reading; use skim or browse.

2. to move your hands or eyes slowly across a surface or over someone's body, often

2.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to move your hands or eyes slowly across a surface or over someone's body, often in a way that is sexual or makes others uncomfortable

例句

On the crowded train, Feng felt someone's hands roaming over his backpack.

roam over + [possession]

At the office party, Kenji's eyes roamed over Talia's body, making her deeply uncomfortable.

eyes roam over + [body] — unwanted sexual attention

同義詞
  • travel

    more neutral; describes slow movement across a surface without sexual connotation

  • wander

    suggests aimless movement, less deliberate than roam in this sense

文法句型

[hands/eyes] roam over/across + [surface/person]

用法筆記

The subject of this sense is usually a person's hands or eyes, not the person themself. Often implies slow, deliberate movement. Can describe unwanted sexual attention when applied to a person's body.

常見錯誤

❌He roamed her body.
✅His hands roamed over her body.
💡The body part (hands/eyes) must be the subject, not the person.

3. to be sexually involved with someone other than the person you are married to or

3.動詞不及物C1
釋義

to be sexually involved with someone other than the person you are married to or dating

例句

After twenty years of marriage, Tuan began to roam.

began to roam — collocation for starting to be unfaithful

When Caleb found out his partner had been roaming, he asked for a divorce.

同義詞
  • stray

    similar meaning but also used literally for animals; slightly euphemistic

  • cheat

    more direct and common in everyday speech; can be transitive (cheat on someone)

反義詞

文法句型

[person] roam(s)

[person] started roaming

用法筆記

Intransitive only — you cannot say 'roam someone.' Usually used informally. More common in continuous tenses (was roaming, has been roaming) than in simple present. Can be vague about the number or frequency of encounters.

常見錯誤

❌He roamed his wife for years.
✅He was roaming for years without her knowledge.
💡Roam is intransitive and cannot take a direct object. To name the betrayed partner, say 'cheat on' instead.

4. to connect your mobile phone to a different provider's network while travelling

4.動詞不及物B2
釋義

to connect your mobile phone to a different provider's network while travelling in another country, allowing calls and data use outside your normal service area

例句

When Eitan landed in London, his phone automatically roamed onto a local network.

roam onto + [network] — pattern for switching providers

Samir switched off data roaming to avoid paying extremely high charges abroad.

data roaming — noun compound

文法句型

[phone] roams onto + [network]

roaming charges/fees

用法筆記

Common in technical and travel contexts. Often used as a noun modifier: roaming charges, roaming agreement, roaming service. The verb is rarely used in everyday conversation; people more often say 'use roaming' or 'turn on roaming.'

常見錯誤

❌My phone roamed a local network.
✅My phone roamed onto a local network.
💡The preposition onto is needed to show the destination network.
❌I roamed to France.
✅I used roaming in France.
💡Roam as a verb is not used for the traveller's action, only the phone's.