Stopping off on the way; dropping in somewhere en route.
帰りに本屋に寄り道して新しい小説を買った。
I stopped by the bookstore on the way home and bought a new novel.
今日は彼女と寄り道してカフェでお茶をした。
Today we stopped off with my girlfriend and had tea at a café.
仕事帰りにスーパーに寄り道することが多い。
I often drop by the supermarket on my way home from work.
Making a detour; going out of one's way rather than taking the direct route.
混雑を避けるために寄り道して別ルートで帰った。
To avoid the crowd, I took a detour and went home via another route.
寄り道をしたせいで約束に遅れてしまった。
Because I took a detour, I was late for the appointment.