tramp

tramp — noun

1. a person without a permanent home or regular income who travels between places,

1.nounB1
Definition

a person without a permanent home or regular income who travels between places, often relying on gifts of food or coins from strangers.

Example

Joon gave his leftover sandwich to a tramp who was sitting by the station entrance.

give + [food/money] + to a tramp

A tramp with a worn coat and muddy boots asked passersby for spare change.

Common collocations
  • ask passersby for money
  • give a tramp food
  • homeless tramp
  • shelter for tramps
Synonyms
  • vagrant

    more formal and legal; does not necessarily imply travel

  • hobo

    American English; historically a migratory worker who may ride trains

  • beggar

    focuses on asking for money; a beggar might have a home

Antonyms
  • homeowner

    a person who owns their own home, the opposite of having no fixed abode

  • resident

    someone who lives permanently in a particular place

Usage Note

This sense overlaps partly with 'hobo' (American) and 'vagrant' (more formal/legal). 'Tramp' tends to emphasise movement from place to place and asking for help, rather than working odd jobs.

Common Mistakes

I saw a tramp working on a farm.
I saw a hobo working on a farm.
'tramp' suggests a person who wanders and asks for money rather than doing casual labour.

2. an insulting label for someone, typically a woman, whose sexual behaviour is con

2.nounC1
Definition

an insulting label for someone, typically a woman, whose sexual behaviour is condemned or looked down on by the speaker.

Example

The character in the novel was unfairly called a tramp by the townspeople.

call + someone + a tramp — pattern for using the word in reported speech

Aunt Rosa called the waitress a tramp after seeing her leave with two different men.

call + someone + a tramp — pattern embedded in a concrete gossip scene

Common collocations
  • call someone a tramp
  • branded a tramp
Synonyms
  • slut

    equally offensive; also targets women's sexuality

  • promiscuous person

    neutral clinical description, not an insult

Usage Note

This sense is strongly offensive and degrading. Modern usage guides recommend avoiding it entirely. It is included here so learners recognise it when reading older literature or hearing it in media.

Common Mistakes

She is such a tramp for dating so many people.
Never use this word to describe someone's sexual behaviour.
The word is deeply insulting and should be avoided.

3. the sound produced by people or animals walking with heavy steps, especially whe

3.nounB2
Definition

the sound produced by people or animals walking with heavy steps, especially when several move together.

Example

We heard the tramp of boots as the soldiers marched across the wooden bridge.

the tramp of boots — typical pattern describing military or group movement

The heavy tramp of feet on the stairs told Faisal that his roommate was back.

Common collocations
  • tramp of boots
  • tramp of feet
  • steady tramp
  • heavy tramp
Synonyms
  • footfall

    more literary; can refer to a single step's sound

  • footstep

    everyday word for the sound of steps

  • stomp

    suggests deliberate, angry, or noisy steps

Antonyms
  • whisper

    a soft sound, the opposite of a heavy footfall

  • silence

    absence of sound

Grammar Patterns

the tramp of [plural noun]

Usage Note

Often used with 'of' and a plural noun indicating the source of the sound. The tramp of hooves, the tramp of feet, the tramp of boots are all common patterns.

Common Mistakes

I heard a tramp outside the door.
I heard heavy footsteps outside the door.
Without 'of', 'a tramp' is understood as the homeless person sense.

4. a walk of several hours or more, taken for exercise, pleasure, or to reach a des

4.nounB1
Definition

a walk of several hours or more, taken for exercise, pleasure, or to reach a destination.

Example

Nadia and Élise went for a long tramp through the hills behind their village.

go for a tramp — common British collocation

After a five-hour tramp across the moor, they were exhausted but happy.

Common collocations
  • go for a tramp
  • long tramp
  • tramp across the hills
  • tramp through the woods
Synonyms
  • hike

    standard word in American English; suggests walking on trails in nature

  • ramble

    a leisurely walk for pleasure, especially in the countryside

  • trek

    a long, difficult journey on foot, often over rough terrain

Antonyms
  • stroll

    a short, relaxed walk

  • drive

    travelling in a vehicle rather than on foot

Grammar Patterns

go for a tramp

a long tramp + through/across

Usage Note

Chiefly British English. In American English, 'hike' is the usual word for a long walk in nature. 'Tramp' in this sense is somewhat old-fashioned but still used in the UK for countryside walks.

Common Mistakes

We went on a tramp to the grocery store.
We went on a tramp through the forest.
'Tramp' implies a long walk, often in nature, not a short errand.

5. someone who covers long distances on foot, whether for recreation or as an ongoi

5.nounB2
Definition

someone who covers long distances on foot, whether for recreation or as an ongoing lifestyle.

Example

A tramp covered in dust strode into the village after walking forty miles that day.

tramp + distance walked in one day — emphasises long-distance journey

Adisa, a tramp who walked from one coast to the other each year, knew every shelter along the route.

tramp who walks [route] each year — demonstrates ongoing walking lifestyle

Common collocations
  • lone tramp
  • friendly tramp
  • tramp making his way
Synonyms
  • hiker

    the more common modern word for someone walking for pleasure

  • walker

    neutral; a person who walks, often for exercise

  • traveller on foot

    descriptive phrase avoiding any negative connotations

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (HOMELESS PERSON): this sense does not imply homelessness or begging — simply a person who walks long distances. Context usually makes the meaning clear.

Common Mistakes

The tramp asked me for money.' (when you mean a hiker)
The hiker asked me for directions.
If the person is walking for pleasure and has a map or gear, use 'hiker' instead of 'tramp.'

tramp — verb

tramp — adjective

Word family

  • tramping
    nounC1
  • trample
    verbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all describe people without stable homes or incomes, but they differ in emphasis and connotation. 'Tramp' focuses on movement — someone who travels from place to place, often on foot, and asks for money or food along the way. 'Vagrant' is more formal and legal; it describes someone who lives on the streets without a fixed address, whether they travel or not. 'Hobo' is primarily American and historically refers to a migratory worker who rides freight trains and takes seasonal jobs — it has a somewhat romanticised image in American culture. 'Beggar' narrows the lens to the act of asking for money; a beggar may have a home but still beg on the street. In writing, use 'tramp' when the person's wandering is central, 'vagrant' in official reports, 'hobo' in American historical contexts, and 'beggar' when the focus is on the request for alms. For example: 'The tramp had walked over two hundred miles.' versus 'The beggar sat outside the station with a cup for coins.'

tramp ↗vagranthobobeggar ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Prepositions

Etymology

Middle DutchMiddle Low GermanMiddle EnglishEnglish

Tramp entered English in the late 1300s from Middle English 'trampen,' meaning 'to walk heavily or stamp,' borrowed from Middle Dutch 'trampen' or Middle Low German 'trampen' — both meaning 'to tread or stamp.' This Germanic root also gave rise to 'trample' (via a frequentative suffix). The noun forms emerged gradually: first 'a heavy step or footfall' (1600s), then 'a long walk' (1700s), and finally 'a person who travels on foot, especially a homeless wanderer' (1800s). The adjective sense developed from the noun in the 19th century.