hobo
1 of 2noun
ho·bo ˈhō-(ˌ)bō 
plural hoboes also hobos
1
: a migratory worker
2
: a homeless and usually penniless vagabond
3
or less commonly hobo bag : a large shoulder bag shaped like a pouch
To punctuate the all-blue outfit, the actress slung on an unstructured, oversized suede hobo, a practical antidote to the current craze for fanny packs and mini bags.
Edward Barsamian
Edward Barsamianhobo
2 of 2verb
hoboed; hoboing; hobos
intransitive verb
: to live or travel in the manner of a hobo
Synonyms
Noun
- bindle stiff
- bum
- bummer
- sundowner [Australian]
- swaggie [chiefly Australian]
- swagman [chiefly Australian]
- tramp
- vagabond
- vagrant
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun kind folks who always gave hoboes who came to the farm a meal and then sent them on their way
Recent Examples on the Web New York Times, 11 June 2022 Do yourself a favor and swap out your boxy bag for a hobo. Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2022 Andy Griffith plays a folksy hobo turned megalomaniacal media star in Elia Kazan’s biting 1957 satire. Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2021 From Japanese internees and hobos at the turn of the 20th century to taggers at the turn of the 21st, these graffiti artists reveal Los Angeles’s underground history. New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020 Maisel bought the abandoned building in 1966, when the neighborhood was flush with hobos and artists, and the building is inextricably connected with his work as a photographer. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2019 The show started with asymmetrical skirts in large, dyed patchwork denim paired with slouchy jackets and hobo bags in earth tones. Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2020 Alternatively, squishable soft pouches and hobo bags have married into the ultimate hybrid baguette, with options from Bottega Veneta, Rag & Bone, and Staud. Madeline Fass, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2020 Devon was played by Devon Abner, who in the episode in question was the one dressed as a hobo. Omar Sanchez, EW.com, 15 Jan. 2020 See More
Noun
Additional bullet points include exhortations to boycott products marked as Lite; hex the Muzak company; go on strike; dance all night; start a pirate radio station; put up posters; home-school your kids or teach them a craft; don’t vote; be a hobo. New York Times, 11 June 2022 Do yourself a favor and swap out your boxy bag for a hobo. Sarah Boyd, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2022 Andy Griffith plays a folksy hobo turned megalomaniacal media star in Elia Kazan’s biting 1957 satire. Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2021 From Japanese internees and hobos at the turn of the 20th century to taggers at the turn of the 21st, these graffiti artists reveal Los Angeles’s underground history. New York Times, 24 Mar. 2020 Maisel bought the abandoned building in 1966, when the neighborhood was flush with hobos and artists, and the building is inextricably connected with his work as a photographer. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2019 The show started with asymmetrical skirts in large, dyed patchwork denim paired with slouchy jackets and hobo bags in earth tones. Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2020 Alternatively, squishable soft pouches and hobo bags have married into the ultimate hybrid baguette, with options from Bottega Veneta, Rag & Bone, and Staud. Madeline Fass, Vogue, 21 Jan. 2020 Devon was played by Devon Abner, who in the episode in question was the one dressed as a hobo. Omar Sanchez, EW.com, 15 Jan. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
origin unknown
First Known Use
Noun
1888, in the meaning defined at sense 2
Verb
1906, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing hobo
Kids Definition
hobo
noun
ho·bo ˈhō-bō
plural hoboes
: vagrant entry 1
hoboing
verb
as in vagabonding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- vagabonding
- tramping
- gypsying
- dawdling
- strolling
- ambling
- sauntering
- moping
- wandering
- straggling
- roaming
- meandering
- gallivanting
- roving
- drifting
- floating
- traipsing
- straying
- cruising
- galavanting
- maundering
- mooching
- milling (about or around)
- rambling
- ranging
- batting
- knocking (about)
- gadding (about)
- kicking around