expression, adverb
aimlessly; without a goal
Describes wandering, walking, or acting without a specific destination or purpose.
彼はあてどなく街を歩き続けた。
He kept walking aimlessly through the streets.
あてどなく旅に出るのも悪くない。
Setting off on a journey without a fixed destination isn't bad either.
Similar meaning, but あてどなく is slightly more literary and less common.
Derived from 当て (ate, 'aim, goal') + 所 (do, 'place') + なく (naku, adverbial negative form). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the expression is conventionally associated with the meaning 'without a fixed place or aim'.