French word

muser

Pronunciation

IPA/myze/

Meaning

  • verbwander

Example

Le dimanche, il aime muser dans le quartier.

On Sundays, he likes to wander around the neighborhood.

Illustration for muser (wander)

More examples

L'après-midi, elle aime muser au café.

In the afternoon, she likes to loiter at the cafe.

Core concept

A slow, unfocused wandering in which the body lingers while the mind slips away from its surroundings.

Common phrases

  • muser dans le quartier

    loiter around the neighborhood

  • muser dans les rues

    loiter in the streets

  • muser au café

    loiter at the cafe

Similar words

rêvasser: Let the mind wander through imagined scenes.
traîner: Hang around aimlessly without a clear purpose.
flâner: Wander at an easy pace while observing the surroundings.
se promener: Go for a pleasant, unhurried walk.

Definition in French

Rester perdu dans ses pensées ou rêvasser sans faire attention aux choses autour de soi; verbe intransitif décrivant la paresse mentale ou la rêverie.

Word origin

French inherited muser from Old French, where it referred to delaying or lingering, before covering both idle wandering and absorbed daydreaming.

Usage tips

  • Muser is less neutral than marcher and often suggests wasted time or absent-mindedness rather than purposeful movement.

Other meanings

  • daydreamverb

Opposites

Word lists with this word