Do people actually use all these terms?

Well you can think of them into two categories: 1. Words which describe relatively uncommon actions (for example, to stagger, hobble, etc) 2. Words which are uncommon regardless, e.g. to shamble, to strut (describing humans at least) or to loiter (in the sense of walking; loitering the sense of hanging around is the predominant usage where I am). I would say about 2/3rds are in the first category. None of them are very rare.

Most of them, yes, are used when appropriate I would say. ^^ There are a few that I wouldn't use personally day to day such as amble, saunter, or plod, but the rest seem natural to me. "To Ramble" is also one that I would not use for walking, rather I'd use that for talking.

Sometimes, rarely. More common when you're trying to be evocative with your language, like if you're telling a story or writing a poem.

Sure. Some of them *are* really specific, but that’s one of the beauties of English. There probably is word for exactly the concept you want to express.

Many of them are quite specific, and a few of them are mainly used in writing, but all of them are commonly known and used.

Isn't this just a longer version of "what crawls on four legs, walks on two then walks with three legs?"? Kids stride, adults march to war and the elderly swagger and eventually limp from injuries and illness, the author is using words to describe motion as you age imo

This is a great list! Would anyone know of any videos that demonstrate these different types of walking?

My new favorite word in this domain is "to lope". It's akin to sauntering, but slightly different I guess. It reminds me of a walking word in my native language

I’d say ‘toddle’ is probably the rarest in terms of regular usage. EDIT: Though the noun form ‘toddler’ for a small child from about 12 months to about 3 years old (when they are learning to walk and are toddling about) is fairly common.

Some of these are pretty specific, but they are used in books often. I've never heard of toddle or shamble, nor hasten to mean walking tough. You'd probably only need to know wander, stroll, pace, march, roam, hike, stumble, sneak (maybe limp). In speech, people will mostly just use the common ones: walk, stroll, pace (go, run, etc.).

I have never used "toddle" as a verb, but otherwise yes. Some are much more common than others but we do use them all.

They aren't all perfect synonyms of each other. Many of them have specific uses (to limp means you are struggling to walk,possibly because a leg injury). And yes, they are all used, but not necessarily all the time. Some might be a bit more literary than used in everyday speech

Definitely. I can picture each of these verbs in my head; they're all distinct actions. But if you don't know a few, you can always craft a descriptive phrase instead.

yeah we’ve got a lot of words that describe all the different nuances and situations of an action. While it may be daunting to see a list this long of words that all mean something similar and be told that they’re all important, they’re easy to pick up through conversation and by listening to/watching English programs. They’re not all absolutely essential to daily life, but they do add flavor to it. Luckily, with a majority of these, people do sometimes like to pantomime the action being expressed by these words for extra effect.

Authors do for sure

I have never heard waddle, lurch, or pace use in the phrase, "I'm just going to <verb> over there," but I have heard or read all the others. Some may be slightly archaic, but every native speaker will know what you mean, with the exception of pace. I have never heard waddle or lurch, but I would know what they mean and also consider them silly because they would imply a self-delreciated or very unserious tone.

I've heard most of them, but I also find it important to point out that while, yes, they mean getting from one point to another by foot, it often times kind of indicates how the person is walking. I don't stroll (indicating that I'm taking my time) and hasten (indicating I'm in a hurry) at the same time, and if I wade, I'm probably wading through water or a swamp or something similar. If I tiptoe, I don't march, but I may stumble. If I have a set goal to reach, I don't roam (walking aimlessly), and if I waddle (like a penguin), I don't strut (like a proud show-off), but I may limp (because of an injured leg).

None of these words are particularly rare, it's just that most of them have quite a specific meaning attached to them. They don't mean walking in a general sense, they mean a very particular manner of movement that might imply some specific intention from the walker, or some specific environment they're walking in which requires a different form of movement. These words are just as rare as someone doing the specific type of walking the word refers to.

I use none of these terms, I only prance, dance and advance.

If you ask me, they are almost all pretty common, meaning I wouldn't be shocked to hear them in casual conversation. For me, "swagger" is an odd one of the bunch as I can't really remember the last time I heard it used as a verb. It's commonly used as a noun meaning confidence/cockiness (and maybe implying a gait like one would have while swaggering). "Toddle" is also uncommon, but "toddler" is cemented as a term for a very young child who "toddles." However, many of them *do not* mean something all that similar to "walk." (forgive the hasty definitions) Limp - walk with noticeable difficulty, usually from personal injury Shuffle - walk with abbreviated strides, maybe not lifting feet Plod/trudge - walk with difficult because of terrain or water or mud hazard Stumble - trip but maybe not quite fall (it can be though)... this is far from "walk" Stroll - walk leisurely Loiter - hang around and area with not (legitimate) purpose... walking could be involved, but not really synonymous Tiptoe - walk on one's toes Creep - walk carefully, quietly, deliberately, maybe with intent to scare or stalk March - walk deliberately, usually in a disciplined, quick manner There are plenty more. Few can be used to replace "walk" 1 for 1.

Most of them are common, but you’ll run into most in a literary context than in everyday speech.

most, yeah. colourful language helps a lot with otherwise dull topics. As Richard II trailed the sauntering king from the English countryside to the fields of Anjou, he accrued tremendous debts. Used it in a essay yesterday. Generally i'd say swagger if im not trying to sound sophisticunted.

Yes

All of those are in my working vocabulary. "Hasten" is a bad choice for the list. Hasten means to do something quickly or sooner than planned. It *could* be walking somewhere sooner than planned, but it could also be running or any mode of transportation. It's less about walking and more about an external force triggering a decision to move/decide quickly. "We hastened back home when we heard about the fire." "Winning the lottery hastened my retirement."

Before he became President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt spent parts of a few years out west as a cattle rancher. Roosevelt was a Harvard graduate. There's a famous story about how one day on the range he yelled out to the other cowboys, "Hasten forward quickly there!" The cowboys all laughed at him. So even 140 years ago that was an unusual word, at least in the context of walking or moving. It is more common to hear hasten in terms of something abstract, like speeding up a process or making something happen sooner. Similarly, ramble is normally used only to describe talking on and on without really making a point, to the point where someone has to tell you to be quiet. Roam means to move across a wide area with no particular destination; I've never heard it refer to a way of walking. In the bottom half of the list, I've never heard toddle before. Stalk means to follow someone or something without being noticed; the only time it would refer to a way of walking or moving would be something like how a hunter in the woods stalks a deer. The others are all pretty common and specific. Waddle means rocking back and forth while you walk, much like a penguin walks. Shamble is used only when talking about zombies. Plod and trudge mean a difficult walk, like trying to walk through mud or very deep snow. Wade means walking through shallow water. Limp and hobble mean walking unevenly, typically because of an injury. Stagger is most commonly used to describe how someone who is very drunk walks.

It's time to perambulate the nuance-rich corridors of English vocabulary. Slink past bland, neutral terms and peregrinate towards the more specific. When translating from other languages, like Latin, you might find they use a lot of adverbs or adverbials to modify their verbs but a word-for-word translation would sound stilted and unnatural. Instead, English has lots of verbs with adverbial nuance built-in. Yes, we can apply adverbs to mark a surprising addition/contrast, but sentences laden with adverbs become too viscous to flow properly. English is at its best, IMO, when it is succinct and punchy. So read that dictionary! Peruse it, browse through it, rifle through it, search it, pore through it, study it, examine it, dip into it, or immerse yourself in it! (You can consult a thesaurus too, but you'll need to look up the words to appreciate nuance/context/usage.)

I’ve used every one of these in speech or writing. Some are fairly uncommon and even poetic, but every native English speaker will understand them.

They're all fairly common (some more or less than others) but a lot of them have very specific meanings related to why, where, and how you're moving

Some are very specific so not often, but yes, I’d use any of these. 

This is stuff you would see in literature not in common day speech. English has an INSANE amount of synonyms, and we are taught in school, that when writing you shouldn't use casual speech and should look to use synonyms to have more diversity in the words used in writing.

Most of them have their uses, yes! Rambling is more of a specific hobby in England - we have the Association. Few would say they were going for a ramble though. Prowling would have negative connotations!

The only one I haven't used in writing and conversation is hasten.

More than half of these are actually quite common

Dulce et Decorum Est Bent double, like old beggars under sacks, Knock-kneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge, Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs, And towards our distant rest began to trudge. Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots, But limped on, blood-shod. All went lame, all blind; Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots Of tired, outstripped Five-Nines that dropped behind. Gas! GAS! Quick, boys!—An ecstasy of fumbling Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time, But someone still was yelling out and stumbling And flound’ring like a man in fire or lime Dim through the misty panes and thick green light, As under a green sea, I saw him drowning. In all my dreams before my helpless sight He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace Behind the wagon that we flung him in, And watch the white eyes writhing in his face, His hanging face, like a devil's sick of sin, If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs, Obscene as cancer, Bitte as the cud Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,– My friend, you would not tell with such high zest To children ardent for some desperate glory, The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est Pro patria mori. So Wilfried Owen uses lots of different ways if walking Cursing through the mud Limped on Floundering around To plunge at someone Much more powerful than just walk. The richer your vocabulary the better. Who knows, one day you may end up as President and then you'll need it.

I'd use all except toddle, that's been stollen by toddler in my mind (one who toddles) Amble/waddle - would be very rare, possibly never actually said myself. Hobble - i wouldnt use for walk. I'd use it for the act of hobbling which according to google is actually the 2nd definition, first being the walk All the rest add a nuance to the type of walking

I use a good portion of them, but I also don’t prefer to use bland language.

The man walked away The man snuck away or crept away The man staggered away The man pottered around The man shuffled away The man limped away The man crawled away The man lurched away He slithered towards us He burbled his way along the street / he tootled He jostled his way through the people

I use them all. Some of them quite rarely. Gasten is quite archaic and I would only use it a jokey fashion - let us hasten unto the supermarket.

These are the kinds of words I primarily use when making plans around a dog that has learned the word "walk"

Cost of them are common or uncommon, none of those words are particularly rare or unusual. They just have additional connotations and meanings than just walking. So while I’d use most of them in a sentence, I wouldn’t replace “walk” with any of them in every context. For instance, march implies faster movement and a very steady pace. Like an army or a parade. Stumble, hobble, lurch, stagger, and limp all suggest walking with difficulty, like someone who is drunk or has an injured leg. So I’d use all the terms but they still mean different things and you’re right that several are pretty specific

There’s not one among them I haven’t said recently…

Yep

Amble and lurch aren’t as common but they’re all great words.

Yes, all of them are used. However, some are used infrequently and they all convey a bit of a sense of a particular way of walking that isn't a normal walk. For example, "to wade" is only used to refer to someone walking into water, usually somewhere between calf and chest deep.

They're all important to know. While many of them may not come up in everyday conversation often, if ever, they're all common enough that anyone learning English should know them at some point. Also many of them describe specific ways of moving and aren't just ways of saying walk.

Yes, they are all used. Some more than others.

I use them when I'm trying to paint a particular picture of a scene when telling a story to someone

Yes, Once the context necessitates it or it comes to mind. For example, "march" is used to describing soldiers walking in formation, or any heavy dignified stepping in general (a popular phrase is "the slow march of progress")

Yes, and only a handful of them are entirely redundant with each other. Each one has some variation in speed, purpose, pathing and/or gait.

Yeah, all of these are used. Read enough books, and you'll encounter all of these. "To loiter" seems like the odd duck, since it usually means that you *aren't* moving. You *can* "loiter along", which is moving around while staying in the same general location, but the overall implication of the word has more to do with staying put. You can still be loitering without moving at all. It seems like an odd inclusion here. I don't know if I've ever actually heard the word used that way.

I use them all. They all have slightly different meanings.

Well, I've had gone through all those terms and some of those are not commonly used. In general conversations, we usually use simple terms that are used often before and understandable to the other person. The real beauty of English is that you always get to learn new terms and it brings joy and interest to get involved more n more in this language. Thank You.

Those are all words found in the english language that ive probably seen at least once this calendar year. Most of them have added context or meaning past *just* "walking". Hike, for example. Hiking is walking. But usually with the added context of a nature trail or up a mountain pass. To amble is to walk. But it is *specifically* "to walk without aim or direction.". Isnt amble then the same as roaming? Well to my understanding, roam has a farther range than amble. You amble for the day, but one might roam for years on end.

Yes

I use stroll a bit but the noun version. I'm going for a stroll.

lol the only ones of these I don't use are toddle, and plod T\_T I didn't even realize how ridiculous it looks all written out. But they're all different! I swear! also loiter isn't really used for walking, more for occupying a space

They missed my favourite, to parambulate.

All are fairly common words. They all have slightly different meanings and will generally be used in specific contexts, they're not interchangeable with "to walk" even though they're all a kind of walking. "Prowl" is most often used to describe a hunting animal, "stroll" is a leisurely way to walk, "wade" is specifically walking in water, etc. But within the context that they'd be used, they're commonly used words.

Yes

More common in literature than in speaking

quick scan, for sure. i mean, they all mean different things so get more or less play accordingly, but yes, these are normal words that a literate person knows and uses

I counted 15 of them that I use regularly. And the rest I use sometimes. So, yes.

I feel like I've used all but maybe 3 of these, and most of them fairly frequently. Obviously some are more common than others, but I'd say overall the vast majority of these have use in everyday speech/writing. I think the three that I haven't used in reference to movement is "ramble," "shamble," and "amble" (which is great because they rhyme!)

Most of these are fairly common words but basically none of them are simple synonyms of "walk"; they all have a connotation of walking or moving in a certain way or for a certain reason

Trek I only use as a noun—hasten, shamble, and toddle I don't use at all. All the others, yes, and out of those, hasten and shamble I encounter in texts, so I do know what they mean, even if I don't use them.

In certain contexts, yes.

Yes , at least 60% of them, although not just in this context either.

Yes. Any American High School student reading at grade level would or at least should know these words

All of these verbs mean slightly different things - this is probably a lesson in itself! to stride - to walk quickly and/or with purpose, taking long steps to march - to walk on an organised, purposeful route (to walk from A to B) to pace - to walk back-and-forth across a short distance to stroll - to walk gently to amble - to walk even more gently! to saunter - to walk with confidence (see "a spring in your step") to hasten - to walk quickly, to speed up to wander - to walk without a fixed goal to roam - to explore somewhere by walking to prowl - to walk back and forward, waiting for someone to ramble - to walk, slowly, for fun to hike - to walk, a bit faster, for fun to trek - to walk along a challenging route, usually for fun to strut - showing off while walking, puffing your chest out to swagger - showing off while walking, exaggerating your hip movements to stagger - to walk with uneven gait, such as when you're drunk to stumble - to trip up while walking to lurch - to take (a) long and unnatural step(s) to waddle - to walk like a duck to wade - to walk through water to plod/trudge - to walk when you're exhausted to hobble - to walk with difficulty, like an elderly person to limp - to walk with difficulty, like someone with a leg injury to shuffle - to walk with your feet dragging along the ground to shamble - similar to "to shuffle" to tiptoe - to walk very quietly, standing on the front of your foot to creep - to walk very quietly to sneak - to walk very quietly, so that you can't be detected to stalk - to follow someone without being detected to loiter - to stay in an area where you aren't welcome, occasionally walking backwards and forwards to inch - to walk very slowly to toddle - to walk without coordination, like a small child or a drunk person

Native English speaker Southeastern US: Yes. There are only 2 in this list that I haven't heard or used in conversation: hasten and lurch. Those I've only seen in books.

This shows the richness and one of the strengths of the English language: The number and variety of synonyms or near synonyms. Each has a nuance to it. But they're all related to a type of walking, or walking similar movement (or can be -- to hasten, for example, doesn't just have to do with walking, but with speeding something up in general - one can hasten their pace or their arrival or any outcome, for example). Reading a lot (with a dictionary), and widely, would be the best way to learn the subtle differences and could take awhile, (like a whole childhood) to do. It's one of the things that make learning English challenging but so expressive and rewarding.

no, we just say walk.

Yeah... depending on the circumstance. These aren't all explicitly walking, either, but generally if you want to be more descriptive than "walk" (especially if you're a writer), many of those words also indicate the *manner* of walking. Swagger is a prideful stride, implying a bit of sway, taking up a lot of space on the sidewalk. Stagger is an unsteady walk, almost falling from one foot onto the next (like when someone is very drunk, they stagger). A waddle is what you do when your legs are too short or inhibited, like a duck or a penguin. It may be used to (unkindly) describe someone extremely fat. A shamble is like a staggering shuffle. Slow (Romero-style) zombies shamble. You get the idea.

There are many slightly different ways to walk.

Not a native speaker. I think I've seen or heard most of them being used and used a third to half of them in conversation myself. So yeah, I'd say that they are all used to some extend.

Some are used to describe specific things. Stride is sometimes used when talking about the length of someone’s steps. March is what soldiers do. Pace is used both when talking about timing and when taking about the nervous habit of walking back and forth between two points. Wander is for when you have no destination in mind. Hike is used when you go on a hike. Stagger is what you do when drunk and you can’t walk straight. Stumble is what you use when you trip but don’t actually fall down. Waddle is what penguins and obese people do. Trudge is what you do through deep mud. Limp is for when you have a foot/leg/hip injury. The rest generally isn’t used.

I don’t think I’ve heard loiter when referring to someone walking anywhere, it’s usually used to refer to someone not going anywhere but just staying in the same place for a long time without purpose, like “They loitered outside the store for a few hours before they were asked to leave”. Ramble isn’t used too often in the context of movement these days, at least in American English, it’s more often used to describe when someone speaks a lot without really saying much of value.

I used most of these b4

You use the specified ones when you want to describe the specific thing.  The only one that looks slightly unusual (old fashioned) to me is “to hasten”. 

I recognize all of them and use most if not all of them. Some rarely,  of course

Soooo, imma drop what i think of when i see these words in the replies. Can't drop them all here, its too big for reddit

Not all of them, I've never heard someone say "toddling" in a serious manner. The majority are words I recognize, though. But this is a good place to reiterate something that always should be mentioned whenever "useful words to say instead of [COMMON WORD]" lists come up: each of these has its own slightly different definition. They broadly mean the same thing, but marching and sneaking are not the same action. They're subtle differences, but none of these are one for one replacements for another.

Yes, they're all in common use.

Not usually in common speech but in narrative writing these are fairly common. They all mean slightly different things and aren't interchangeable. To march and prowl are basically opposites, for examples.

Yes, all do get used and are each much more specific than just walking, but I would focus on learning: march (meaning to either walk in time with one another like a band does or to rally for a political cause) pace (walking back and forth like a tiger in a cage) wander (walking around without a real purpose or destination) hike (going on a walk in nature, often up hills or through woods) limp (how you walk if you have a rock in your shoe or a bad leg) tiptoe (walking quietly on your toes) creep (think of how a cat approaches a mouse - that's creeping; a "creep" can also mean someone who is unpleasant) loiter (actually means you're not walking, you're staying in one place, usually blocking other people) The rest are useful, but you'll pick them up in time :)

Yep

They're not exotic. Toddle is not too common, at least in American English. The word toddler is common, but you don't hear the verb toddle very often.

I believe I have used every one of those words. But I’ve been speaking English for almost 80 years.

Yes but we were bullied for it in high school so we stopped.

I use about 1/3 of them

Yes. I believe I have used all of them, except maybe hasten - which I have never encountered in this context. See also: to trundle, to hurry and to hirple.

I mean, eventually I'll get around to using all of them. March, pace, stroll, wander, roam, prowl, ramble, hike, trek, strut, swagger, stagger, stumble, waddle, wade, plod, hobble and limp I do use.

Shamble and loiter are used incorrectly.

Yes for my c2 test

I can safely say that I do use all of those words. And yes some are very specific. (And sometimes I will use one of these simply so that my dog doesn’t go bananas because he heard me say “walk.”)

I have used all of these words many times. Obviously some far more than others. This list illustrates one of the peculiarities of English. It has a lot of synonyms for some concepts, but just one borrowed word for other concepts.

Sure, but not that often in speaking. But these are very common in writing. Let me break it down by level. For beginners, I think only "to march" and "to hike" are enough. Marching is how the army walks, and hiking is enjoying nature. For intermediate, I would recommend stroll (walking for fun), wander (walking randomly), prowl (hunting/searching), and sneak (walk secretly). For advanced, I would recommend stride (also the length of a step), wade (through water or a difficult topic), stumble (fall while walking), loiter (not really walk, means to spend a long time in a place, seen on signs that say "NO LOITERING"), creep (walk very slowly while hunting/stalking), limp (walk with a leg injury), tiptoe (walk very quietly) and the rest if you'd like to study them.

Why does this have a picture of a family fleeing through water? Where is this from?

Yes. Some of them are rare or very specific, but they are all valid.

Sure. Might march right in, pace nervously, take a stroll to relax, maybe amble down the street, saunter into a bar with a smile on my face, hasten to the last empty seat, wander over to the pool table to take a look, go outside and roam about the market, go for a ramble in the country side or a hike in the woods, maybe make a trek over to the hardware store to fetch some bolts. I'll strut in there like I own the place, swagger over to the counter with my big plans, stagger back at the bill, stumble over some boxes stacked nearby. I spot a friend walking out the door and lurch after him--big fella, waddles around in the rain outside. I have to wade through a puddle and trudge up a muddy hill to meet him, he hobbles halfway down to meet me. I limp along the hilltop, injured from my earlier stumble; he shuffles after and we talk a while. We spot someone sneaking through the trees, creeping up on another person loitering near a bench on the path. She inches up slowly behind the unsuspecting target and startles her. The target seems miffed, stalks of in a huff. My friend laughs and toddles off to chat with the girl, seems he knows her.

These are GREAT descriptive verbs !! I love all these! But are they in my daily language? Not all of them. I never use amble, hasten, ramble. Nor lurch, trudge, plod, loiter. Some of them are usually used for a specific type of walk or saying: stumbling/staggering drunk, inching to a crawl, stalked like prey. These words give you a visual when reading and makes your narrative easier to visualize. “The woman toddled over to the table for a glass of wine. “ I picture a woman in very high heels 👠 in a tight skirt barely able to walk so it’s slow. Or “Mira strutted up the avenue like she owned it.” She’s confident and nothing can bother her. Great words!

I'm not sure that I've ever used *saunter* or *toddle,* but the others are all part of my vocabulary. Native English-speaker, California resident for the last 65 years.

As an american as far as words I never expect to see or hear. Amber(if not referring to the stone) Saunter, Hasten, Ramble(if not refering to speaking), Swagger(if this has to do do with walking and not slang), lurch, shamble and toddle. Id only expect to see these in a book. Many others are specifc and not used very often in texting or speech despite being commonly known words. Id say only march, stroll, wander, roam, hike, trek, waddle, tiptoe, creep, sneak, stalk and shuffle are very commonly said words.

The really specific ones are the most fun! Strut, swagger, saunter and prowl are all pretty neat.

Some of them would be used in day-to-day speech, most of them would be primarily used in books, and some of them are uncommonly used.

I’d say I use about half of them. Others feel more poetic to me.

90% of these words are words that are relatively common, especially used in books and writing, although most can just be used normally as well

I use them all

Not only are all these words used, especially in literature, but I can describe each of them as being a distinct movement (for the most part). Swagger and saunter are pretty similar.

I don't remember learning them but I know them all, so I somehow learnt them

Yup!

I've used them all, except maybe for toddle. Although i may have.

This seems like a great book for English learning - could OP please share the name of the book? Thanks

Yes, those are all words which an English speaker might use. Stephen King famously said “the road to hell is paved with adverbs.” This really captures how, in English, it is considered a valuable writing skill to pick an appropriate verb for what you are trying to express, and not just modify it a great deal by adding adverbs.

The only ones I haven’t heard in a long time are swagger, ramble (in terms of walking- it’s common in reference to speaking), and plod (I have, however, heard trudge). The other ones are slightly less common than “to walk” and are used to describe a specific way of walking, but they’re used relatively frequently. Example: “she paces back and forth” “the horses roam the plains” “the cheetah is on the prowl” “we must trek through the dangerous woods” “he staggers/stumbles down the road” “they wade through the murky water”

I think I have used each one except toddle.

Those are common.

Yes. It depends on the person's style of speaking or writing. Some people might like the sound of loiter more than wander around (or creep around in a very negative context). Most common word is walk. Some words in that list are used more for effect –- for example, stagger is most commonly used in context with an injury or fatigue. Stride = speed and ease. March = military/rule-based way of walking. These words are used to describe:the speed, type, and ease of movement. For use, maybe this will help: is this movement fast or slow? Then why is it fast or slow? Because the person is a spy? A solider? A runner? Traveler? A person waiting?

Yes.

Yes, they're all commonly used.

At least one of these is found primarily contained within phrasal verbs. "Inch forward" is the first one that came to mind that's relatively common. Edit: "Toddle along, little man".

I’ve only heard the term “prowl” in an exclusively negative context. As in a “prowler” is a person who loiters or sneaks in an area with the intent to commit a crime.

You're seeing the difference between denotation and connotation. For all these words, you could use "walk," which simply denotes the action. To bring in emotions, descriptions, or associations, you might use one of the others. They're near-synonyms: they share a core meaning, but aren't interchangeable. You wouldn't usually say that a zombie pranced or a dancer shambled.

The two that I haven’t used are to loiter and to toddle.