Vagabond vs. Hobo — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on March 15, 2024
A vagabond is a person who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or job, while a hobo travels to work.
Difference Between Vagabond and Hobo
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Vagabonds are often characterized by their choice to wander, driven by a desire for freedom or necessity, without a fixed home or steady employment. They may travel for adventure, personal discovery, or due to economic hardship. On the other hand, hobos are traditionally migratory workers, moving from place to place in search of employment, especially common during the early 20th century in the United States. They often rode freight trains to travel, living a nomadic lifestyle out of economic necessity rather than personal choice.
While vagabonds are generally seen as adopting a nomadic lifestyle out of choice or as a philosophical stance towards freedom and non-materialism, hobos specifically seek temporary employment and may aspire to return to a more stable way of living once their economic situation improves. This distinction highlights the different motivations behind each lifestyle.
The term "vagabond" is often used in a broader, more romanticized context, evoking images of wanderers who are free from societal constraints, exploring the world at their leisure. Hobos, however, are more closely associated with the Great Depression era, reflecting a specific historical period and socio-economic conditions that led to their lifestyle.
Society's perception of vagabonds and hobos varies significantly. Vagabonds may be viewed romantically as adventurers or negatively as drifters, while hobos are often seen in the light of historical economic struggle, eliciting both sympathy and admiration for their resilience.
Both vagabonds and hobos share a nomadic existence but differ in their societal integration and acceptance. Vagabonds may choose to interact with mainstream society on their own terms, whereas hobos, due to their need for employment, engage more directly with societal structures, albeit from its margins.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
A person who wanders without a permanent home or job
A migratory worker seeking employment
Motivation
Desire for freedom, adventure, or due to necessity
Economic necessity, search for employment
Lifestyle Choice
Often by choice or philosophical stance
Primarily out of economic necessity
Historical Context
Broad and romanticized, not tied to a specific period
Closely associated with the Great Depression era
Society's Perception
Seen as adventurers or drifters
Viewed in the context of economic struggle
Compare with Definitions
Vagabond
A person with a desire for constant movement and adventure.
She was a true vagabond at heart, always seeking new horizons.
Hobo
A migratory worker in the United States, particularly during the early 20th century.
The hobo traveled by freight train, searching for work across the country.
Vagabond
Not necessarily tied to economic hardship.
Despite his wealth, he chose a vagabond lifestyle for the sense of freedom it provided.
Hobo
Engages more directly with societal structures due to their need for employment.
Unlike a vagabond, a hobo seeks temporary jobs to sustain his nomadic life.
Vagabond
A person who travels from place to place without a permanent home.
The vagabond carried his life in his backpack, embracing the freedom of the road.
Hobo
Often associated with riding freight trains.
Hobos developed a unique culture around riding the rails.
Vagabond
Often romanticized as a free spirit.
Literature often portrays vagabonds as romantic figures, unbound by society's rules.
Hobo
A person who adopts a nomadic lifestyle out of economic necessity.
Economic hardship turned him into a hobo, wandering in search of a job.
Vagabond
Someone who lives by begging or casual labor.
The vagabond worked odd jobs to feed himself along his travels.
Hobo
Symbol of resilience and survival during the Great Depression.
Hobos became icons of the struggle to find work and dignity in hard times.
Vagabond
A person who moves from place to place without a permanent home and often without a regular means of support.
Hobo
A hobo is a migrant worker or homeless vagrant, especially one who is impoverished. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States around 1890.
Vagabond
Of, relating to, or characteristic of a vagabond.
Hobo
A homeless person; a tramp or vagrant.
Vagabond
To wander or travel about, especially as a vagabond.
Hobo
One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.
Vagabond
A person on a trip of indeterminate destination and/or length of time.
Hobo
A migrant worker.
Vagabond
One who usually wanders from place to place, having no fixed dwelling, or not abiding in it, and usually without the means of honest livelihood.
Hobo
Also hobo bag A large, crescent-shaped handbag with a single shoulder strap and usually a zippered top.
Vagabond
To roam, as a vagabond
Hobo
To live or wander like a vagrant.
Vagabond
Floating about without any certain direction; driven to and fro.
Hobo
(North America) A wandering homeless person, especially (historical) one illegally travelling by rail or (pejorative) a penniless, unemployed bum.
Vagabond
Moving from place to place without a settled habitation; wandering.
Hobo
(North America) Any migratory laborer, whether homeless or not.
Vagabond
Floating about without any certain direction; driven to and fro.
To heaven their prayersFlew up, nor missed the way, by envious windsBlown vagabond or frustrate.
Hobo
A kind of large handbag.
Vagabond
Being a vagabond; strolling and idle or vicious.
Hobo
To be a hobo, tramp, bum etc.
Joe idly hoboed through half the country till he realized hoboing never gets you anywhere in life.
Vagabond
One who wanders from place to place, having no fixed dwelling, or not abiding in it, and usually without the means of honest livelihood; a vagrant; a tramp; hence, a worthless person; a rascal.
A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be.
Hobo
A professional tramp; one who spends his life traveling from place to place, esp. by stealing rides on trains, and begging for a living.
Vagabond
To play the vagabond; to wander like a vagabond; to stroll.
On every part my vagabonding sightDid cast, and drown mine eyes in sweet delight.
Hobo
A disreputable vagrant;
A homeless tramp
He tried to help the really down-and-out bums
Vagabond
Anything that resembles a vagabond in having no fixed place;
Pirate ships were vagabonds of the sea
Vagabond
A wanderer who has no established residence or visible means of support
Vagabond
Move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment;
The gypsies roamed the woods
Roving vagabonds
The wandering Jew
The cattle roam across the prairie
The laborers drift from one town to the next
They rolled from town to town
Vagabond
Wandering aimlessly without ties to a place or community;
Led a vagabond life
A rootless wanderer
Vagabond
Continually changing especially as from one abode or occupation to another;
A drifting double-dealer
The floating population
Vagrant hippies of the sixties
Common Curiosities
What is a hobo?
A migratory worker who travels in search of employment, typically out of economic necessity.
Are all vagabonds homeless?
While vagabonds do not have a permanent residence, not all are homeless in the traditional sense; many choose a life on the move.
How do society's views on vagabonds and hobos differ?
Vagabonds are often romanticized as free spirits, while hobos are seen through the lens of economic struggle and resilience.
Do vagabonds and hobos have communities or cultures?
Yes, both groups have developed unique cultures and communities, though they differ in their practices and social structures.
Is the hobo lifestyle illegal?
While the lifestyle itself isn't illegal, hopping freight trains and trespassing on private property, common practices among hobos, are illegal activities.
Did hobos only exist during the Great Depression?
While the hobo lifestyle is closely associated with the Great Depression era, migratory workers have existed both before and after this period.
What is a vagabond?
A person who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or job, often driven by a desire for freedom or adventure.
How do vagabonds and hobos differ in their motivation?
Vagabonds often wander by choice or philosophy, while hobos are motivated by the need to find work.
How do vagabonds and hobos typically travel?
Vagabonds may use various means of travel, while hobos historically traveled by hopping freight trains.
Can a vagabond become a hobo, or vice versa?
Yes, circumstances may lead a vagabond to seek employment as a hobo, or a hobo may adopt a vagabond lifestyle once they no longer need to work.
What are some misconceptions about vagabonds and hobos?
Common misconceptions include viewing vagabonds as merely homeless or hobos as unwilling to work, ignoring the complexity of their lifestyles.
Are there modern-day vagabonds and hobos?
Yes, both lifestyles exist today, though the contexts and cultures surrounding them have evolved.
Why did many people become hobos during the Great Depression?
The economic hardship and lack of employment opportunities during the Great Depression forced many to become hobos in search of work.
How have vagabonds and hobos contributed to culture?
Through literature, art, and music, both vagabonds and hobos have enriched cultural narratives with their experiences and perspectives on freedom, adventure, and survival.
What drives someone to become a vagabond?
A desire for freedom, adventure, personal discovery, or necessity can drive someone to adopt a vagabond lifestyle.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
