umherirren
Er irrte stundenlang durch die fremde Stadt und versuchte, den Weg zurück zum Hotel zu finden.
He wandered aimlessly through the unfamiliar city for hours, trying to find his way back to the hotel.
to wander around without a clear direction or purpose
Die Kinder irrten im Wald umher, bis sie endlich einen Pfad fanden.
The children wandered aimlessly in the forest until they finally found a path.
Nach dem Streit irrte sie stundenlang durch die Straßen, um zur Ruhe zu kommen.
After the argument, she wandered the streets for hours to calm down.
Often implies a sense of being lost or disoriented, either physically or mentally.
Collocations
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Avoiding confusion with 'irren'
'Umherirren' emphasizes aimless movement, while 'irren' alone can mean 'to err' or 'to be mistaken'. The prefix 'umher-' adds the sense of wandering without direction.
Word Origin
From Middle High German 'umbe' (around) + 'irren' (to err, wander). The prefix 'umher-' intensifies the sense of aimless movement.
Usage Notes
Commonly used in both literal and figurative contexts. In figurative use, it can describe being mentally lost or indecisive (e.g., 'Er irrte in seinen Gedanken umher').