traipse

English

WOTD – 14 November 2009

Alternative forms

Etymology

Likely from French trépasser (pass over or beyond).

Pronunciation

  • (UK, US) IPA(key): /tɹeɪps/, IPA(key): /t͡ʃɹeɪps/,
  • Rhymes: -eɪps

Verb

traipse (third-person singular simple present traipses, present participle traipsing, simple past and past participle traipsed)

  1. (intransitive, obsolete) To walk in a messy or unattractively casual way; to trail through dirt.
    • 1728, Alexander Pope, The Dunciad, Book III, ll. 140-4:
      Lo next two slipshod Muses traipse along, In lofty madness, meditating song, / With tresses staring from poetic dreams, / And never wash'd, but in Castalia’s streams [...].
  2. (intransitive, colloquial) To walk about, especially when expending much effort, or unnecessary effort.
    • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:
      After traipsing about in the fog they found the grave sure enough.
  3. (transitive, colloquial) To walk (a distance or journey) wearily or with effort; to walk about or over (a place).
    • 1874, Thomas Hardy, Far From the Madding Crowd:
      She only got handy the Union-house on Sunday morning 'a b'lieve, and 'tis supposed here and there that she had traipsed every step of the way from Melchester.

Synonyms

Translations

Noun

traipse (plural traipses)

  1. A long or tiring walk.
    It was a long traipse uphill all the way home.

Synonyms

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Anagrams

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