うろつく・彷徨くurotsuku[0]heiban (flat)

1. godan verb, intransitive verbto loiter; to hang around; to wander around; to prowl; to roam
   真夜中まよなかは幽霊ゆうれいがうろつく時刻じこくだと考かんがえられている。↗

   Midnight is when ghosts are thought to walk the earth.

• SynonymさまようNeutral「さまよう」wanders with no destination, often with a lost, wistful feel; 「うろつく」is more about hanging around one area and can sound slightly suspicious.
• SynonymうろうろNeutralAn adverb for pacing around restlessly or not knowing what to do; very common in speech and the closest to 「うろつく」, but it carries no hint of suspicion itself.
• Synonym彷徨ほうこうWrittenA written-style noun for wandering back and forth, with a literary flavor; it lacks the slightly suspicious edge of 「うろつく」.
• Related歩き回るあるきまわるNeutralSimply walks around here and there, a neutral description with none of the suspicious overtone of 「うろつく」.
• Related徘徊はいかいWrittenA written-style noun for moving about with no purpose; covers ordinary wandering and is often used for the wandering of elderly people with dementia.
• Related漂泊ひょうはくWrittenPoetic written word for drifting like a boat on the tide or roaming the land; its scope is far wider than hanging around nearby.
• Related流浪るろうWrittenA written word for homeless, rootless wandering with a bleak tone; it does not mean loitering around one place.
• Related放浪ほうろうNeutralA noun for long-term wandering far from home; it does not describe hanging around nearby.
• RelatedぶらつくNeutralStrolls about in a relaxed, leisurely way, so it lacks the faintly suspicious feel of 「うろつく」.
• RelatedさすらうWrittenA literary verb for drifting from place to place with a sad, wistful tone; its range is far broader than loitering near one spot.
• Relatedそぞろ歩くそぞろあるくWrittenA written-style verb for a casual, leisurely stroll; it has an elegant feel and nothing to do with suspicious prowling.
• Related経巡るへめぐるWrittenA rare, archaic verb for traveling all around, stressing a tour of many places; not loitering near one spot.
• Related流れ歩くながれあるくNeutralA rare verb for drifting about aimlessly; 「うろつく」usually means staying around one place.
• Related漂浪ひょうろうWrittenA written, rare word for drifting and wandering; in everyday language use 「放浪」or 「さすらう」instead.
• RelatedふらつくNeutralCovers unsteady steps and a wavering mind, and can also mean hanging about aimlessly; it has no suspicious nuance.

Use 「うろつく」 for hanging around a place with a slightly suspicious air. For aimless wandering use 「さまよう」, for relaxed strolling 「ぶらつく」, and for long-term drifting from home 「放浪」. Most others here are written-style or lack the suspicious nuance.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. はっきりした目的もくてきも無なくあちこち歩き回あるきまわる。[1694年ねん～]