plural hoboes also hobos
1
often disparaging; see usage paragraph below
: a usually very poor person who has no permanent residence and travels from place to place especially by furtively hopping (see hop entry 1 sense transitive 2) trains
It should be noted that much of the discussion about the park … involved whether a fence needed to be built around the park to discourage the hobos and tramps, who traveled along the railroad, from taking up residence in the park.—Kevin Dayhoff
also
: a migrant worker
Hoboes travel across the country by hopping onto trains (although other modes of transportation are also acceptable), but crucially they work for their living, performing seasonal labor and taking on odd jobs. —Marguerite Happe
2
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
Usage of Hobo
Hobo functions as a neutral or positive self-descriptor. In general use, it is sometimes used disparagingly, but in some contexts the term has carried positive connotations from its association with an adventurous life that is free of obligation.
The hobo never knows what is going to happen the next moment; hence, he lives only in the present moment. He has learned the futility of telic endeavor, and knows the delight of drifting along with the whimsicalities of Chance.
—Jack London
I imagined a hobo's life would be a fine thing. I would sleep in haystacks and do exactly what I wanted all the time.
—Matthew Power
hoboed; hoboing; hobos
: to live or travel in the manner of a hobo
Cite this Entry
“Hobo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hobo. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.
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