WAYS OF WALKING

to amble

to walk in a relaxed way.

• Suggests a peaceful, easygoing pace, often associated with taking time to enjoy one's surroundings

to creep

to move in a quiet, slow and careful way to avoid attention.

• Often implies stealth and an effort to go unnoticed; can also refer to something moving slowly or gradually.

• Not to be confused with: to tiptoe, to sneak

to hasten

to walk in a hurry

• Suggests walking fast.

to hike

a long walk in the mountains or countryside.

to hobble

to walk with difficulty because your feet are sore or injured.

• typically suggests a more pronounced and awkward movement, often involving some form of support or assistance, such as crutches or a cane.

• Not to be confused with: to limp

to inch

to move slowly or in a lot of short stages in a particular direction.

• Implies a slow, steady movement or adjustment, often involving small increments.

to limp

to walk slowly and with difficulty because a leg or a foot is hurt or injured.

• suggests a noticeable but less pronounced irregularity in walking, often characterized by favoring one leg or foot and a visible imbalance in gait.

• Not to be confused with: to hobble

to loiter

to stand or wait idly, without purpose, in a public place for a long time.

• Suggests spending an unreasonable amount of time, conveying laziness, a threat or criminal intention.

• Places: public places as schools, bars, parking lots

  Subjects: lazy people, suspicious people

• Not to be confused with: to roam; to stalk

to lurch

to walk or move suddenly in an uncontrolled or unsteady way.

• Typically describes a sudden, jerky, or unsteady movement, often without control.

to march

• walk somewhere quickly and with determination, often angry

• to walk along a road as part of a group of people protesting

to pace

to walk with regular and steady steps in one direction and back again, usually worried or nervous.

to plod

to move or walk slowly and heavily or laboriously.

• Implies a slow, heavy, and often weary movement or progress, often without enthusiasm or energy.

• Could be used when walking in mud.

to prowl

to move around an area slowly and quietly (as an animal when hunting, or as people looking for sth ot doing sth illegal).

• suggests involvement in in criminal activity or looking for something.

to ramble

to walk for pleasure, esp. in the countryside.

to roam

to walk or travel around an area without aim or direction, usually for a long time (esp. with farm animals).

• Moving about freely, often exploring or wandering without a specific destination,

• Not to be confused with: to stride; to wander; to saunter

to saunter

slow and relaxed walk showing confidence and pride, often in no particular direction.

• It can convey a sense of leisure, confidence, or nonchalance.

• Not to be confused with: to stride; to wander; to roam

to shamble

to walk slowly and awkwardly, not lifting your feet much, because you are tired, weak, or lazy.

• Implies a deliberate but clumsy movement, typically associated with physical impairment or exhaustion.

• Subjects: ill people, old people, awkward people.

• Not to be confused with: to stagger; to shuffle.

to skid

to slide forward or to one side showing loss of control.

• Implies a sudden loss of control and potentially dangerous movement, often associated with vehicles or machinery.

• Not to be confused with: to slide; to slip

to slide

to move smoothly and quickly across a surface.

• Can imply deliberate or controlled movement, as well as unintentional or involuntary sliding.

• Not to be confused with: to skid; to slip

to slip

• to slide a short distance by accident

  • Implies a momentary loss of control or stability, typically due to a slippery surface or an error in movement.

• to go somewhere quickly and quietly without being noticed.

to sneak

to go somewhere secretly and quietly, avoiding being seen or heard.

• Often with a connotation of doing something secretive or forbidden.

• Not to be confused with: to tiptoe; to creep

to stagger

to walk or move unsteadily, almost falling over as as if under a great weight.

• Involves drunkenness, near blindness, shock or a physical blow.

• Subjects: heavy animals, drunk people, people in shock or involved in a fight.

to stalk

• to walk in a proud or angry way with long steps.

• to illegally follow someone.

to stride

to walk with long steps in a particular direction, vigorously.

• Implies a strong, purposeful, and confident manner of walking, often associated with leadership, determination, or authority.

to stroll

to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way, leisurely.

• Implies a relaxed and deliberate walk for pleasure or enjoyment.

• Subject: people on holidays

  Places: beaches, parks, shopping streets, lake-shores

to strut

to walk proudly and confidently (head high and your chest pushed forwards) showing that you think you are important or to impress others.

• Suggests a more ostentatious and flamboyant style of walking, often with an air of arrogance or vanity.

• subjects: models, peacocks, people likely to show off

to stumble

to step awkwardly while walking or running and to fall (or almost)

to shuffle

to walk slowly and noisily without lifting your feet completely off the ground.

• Suggests a lack of energy or enthusiasm, often associated with weariness or resignation.

• Not to be confused with: to shamble;

  to lurch

to swagger

to walk in an extremely proud and confident way, characterized by a side-to-side movement of the hips or shoulders.

• Implies a confident, sometimes boastful or cocky attitude, often intended to impress or intimidate others.

to tiptoe

to walk quietly and carefully on your toes, so nobody hears you.

• Not to be confused with: to creep; to sneak

to toddle

• (kids) to walk with short unsteady steps.

• (adults) to walk somewhere in a slow, relaxed way.

• Subjects: kids learning to walk.

to trek

a long and hard walk lasting several days, usually in hills, mountains, or forests.

• Suggests a more challenging and adventurous journey, typically through remote or difficult terrain.

to trudge

to walk somewhere with slow heavy steps.

• Especially over a long distance or through difficult terrain. Due to tiredness or to carriage of sth heavy

to waddle

to take short steps, moving your body from side to side.

• Resembling the movement of a duck or a penguin, or a person with short legs and fat body.

to wade

to walk through watery mediums with some effort, deep enough to come high up one’s legs.

to wander

to walk slowly around/to a place, without any particular sense of purpose or direction (as if lost).

• Suggests a lack of direction or purpose, with a focus on meandering or drifting, and may imply a sense of being lost or disoriented.

• Not to be confused with: to roam; to saunter; to stride

to idle

(of a vehicle - of an engine) to run slowly while the vehicle is not moving, to spend time doing nothing.