around : Idioms & Phrases

Index

all-around

  • adjective satellite many-sided
    well-rounded; all-round.
    • an all-around athlete
    • a well-rounded curriculum
WordNet

around the bend

  • adjective satellite informal or slang terms for mentally irregular
    loco; wacky; loopy; bats; haywire; nuts; balmy; kooky; nutty; barmy; buggy; kookie; loony; whacky; crackers; round the bend; daft; dotty; batty; cracked; fruity; bonkers.
    • it used to drive my husband balmy
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around the clock

  • adverb without stopping
    round the clock; for 24 hours.
    • she worked around the clock
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around-the-clock

  • adjective satellite at all times
    round-the-clock; day-and-night; nonstop.
    • around-the-clock nursing care
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arse around

  • verb be lazy or idle
    loaf; fuck off; loll; lounge about; frig around; bum; arse around; bum around; waste one's time; arse about; loll around; bum about.
    • Her son is just bumming around all day
  • verb indulge in horseplay
    arse around; fool; fool around.
    • Enough horsing around--let's get back to work!
    • The bored children were fooling about
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beat around the bush

  • verb be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information
    equivocate; tergiversate; palter; prevaricate.
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bob around

  • verb move up and down with no specific path
    bob about.
    • the cork bobbed around in the pool
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boss around

  • verb be bossy towards
    bully; ballyrag; bullyrag; hector; boss around; strong-arm; browbeat.
    • Her big brother always bullied her when she was young
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bring around

  • verb cause to adopt an opinion or course of action
    bring round.
    • His urgent letter finally brought me around to give money to the school
  • verb provide a cure for, make healthy again
    heal; cure.
    • The treatment cured the boy's acne
    • The quack pretended to heal patients but never managed to
  • verb return to consciousness
    bring to; bring back; bring round.
    • These pictures bring back sad memories
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bum around

  • verb be lazy or idle
    loaf; fuck off; loll; lounge about; frig around; bum; arse around; bum around; waste one's time; arse about; loll around; bum about.
    • Her son is just bumming around all day
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bump around

  • verb shock physically
    shake up; jar.
    • Georgia was shaken up in the Tech game
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cast around

  • verb search anxiously
    beat about; cast about.
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circle around

  • verb move around in a circular motion
    circle round; circle around.
    • The Earth revolves around the Sun
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clown around

  • verb act as or like a clown
    antic; clown.
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come around

  • verb change one's position or opinion
    come round.
    • He came around to our point of view
  • verb happen regularly
    come around.
    • Christmas rolled around again
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drive around

  • verb drive someone in a vehicle
    chauffeur.
  • verb drive without any particular aim
    • we were driving around in the countryside on a fine Sunday morning
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fool around

  • verb indulge in horseplay
    arse around; fool; fool around.
    • Enough horsing around--let's get back to work!
    • The bored children were fooling about
  • verb commit adultery
    fool around.
    • he plays around a lot
WordNet

frig around

  • verb be lazy or idle
    loaf; fuck off; loll; lounge about; frig around; bum; arse around; bum around; waste one's time; arse about; loll around; bum about.
    • Her son is just bumming around all day
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get around

  • verb be released or become known; of news
    break; get out.
    • News of her death broke in the morning
  • verb avoid something unpleasant or laborious
    short-circuit; get around; bypass.
    • You cannot bypass these rules!
  • verb be a social swinger; socialize a lot
    swing.
  • verb move around; move from place to place
    get about.
    • How does she get around without a car?
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get around to

  • verb do something despite obstacles such as lack of time
    • He finally got around to painting the windows
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go around

  • verb be sufficient
    • There's not enough to go around
  • verb become widely known and passed on
    spread; circulate.
    • the rumor spread
    • the story went around in the office
  • verb go around the flank of (an opposing army)
    outflank.
  • verb turn on or around an axis or a center
    revolve; rotate.
    • The Earth revolves around the Sun
    • The lamb roast rotates on a spit over the fire
  • verb avoid something unpleasant or laborious
    short-circuit; get around; bypass.
    • You cannot bypass these rules!
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go-around

  • noun an approach that fails and gives way to another attempt
    overshoot; wave-off.
WordNet

hang around

  • verb be about
    loaf; footle; mess about; lallygag; linger; lollygag; lurk; tarry; mill about; hang around; lounge; loiter.
    • The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square
    • Who is this man that is hanging around the department?
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horse around

  • verb indulge in horseplay
    arse around; fool; fool around.
    • Enough horsing around--let's get back to work!
    • The bored children were fooling about
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jazz around

  • verb wander aimlessly in search of pleasure
    gad; gallivant.
WordNet

kick around

  • verb be around; be alive or active
    kick about; knock about.
    • Does the old man still kick around?
  • verb treat badly; abuse
    • They won't have me to kick around any more!
  • verb discuss lightly
    bandy.
    • We bandied around these difficult questions
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lie around

  • verb hang around idly
    lie about.
    • She did all the work while he lay around
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loll around

  • verb be lazy or idle
    loaf; fuck off; loll; lounge about; frig around; bum; arse around; bum around; waste one's time; arse about; loll around; bum about.
    • Her son is just bumming around all day
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look around

  • verb look about oneself
    • look around to see whether you can find the missing document
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lounge around

  • verb be lazy or idle
    loaf; fuck off; loll; lounge about; frig around; bum; arse around; bum around; waste one's time; arse about; loll around; bum about.
    • Her son is just bumming around all day
WordNet

mess around

  • verb do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly
    monkey around; mess around; monkey; putter; potter; tinker; muck about.
    • The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house
WordNet

mill around

  • verb be about
    loaf; footle; mess about; lallygag; linger; lollygag; lurk; tarry; mill about; hang around; lounge; loiter.
    • The high school students like to loiter in the Central Square
    • Who is this man that is hanging around the department?
  • verb move about in a confused manner
    mill; mill about.
WordNet

monkey around

  • verb do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly
    monkey around; mess around; monkey; putter; potter; tinker; muck about.
    • The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house
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moon around

  • verb be idle in a listless or dreamy way
    moon on; moon.
  • verb be apathetic, gloomy, or dazed
    mope; moon about.
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mope around

  • verb move around slowly and aimlessly
    mope.
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move around

  • verb pass to the other side of
    turn.
    • turn the corner
    • move around the obstacle
  • verb travel from place to place, as for the purpose of finding work, preaching, or acting as a judge
    travel.
WordNet

muck around

  • verb do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly
    monkey around; mess around; monkey; putter; potter; tinker; muck about.
    • The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house
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pass around

  • verb cause be distributed
    distribute; pass on; circulate.
    • This letter is being circulated among the faculty
  • verb cause to become widely known
    circularise; disseminate; distribute; broadcast; spread; circularize; disperse; propagate; diffuse; circulate.
    • spread information
    • circulate a rumor
    • broadcast the news
WordNet

play around

  • verb commit adultery
    fool around.
    • he plays around a lot
  • verb work with in an amateurish manner
    dabble; smatter.
    • She dabbles in astronomy
    • He plays around with investments but he never makes any money
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potter around

  • verb move around aimlessly
    putter; potter; potter around.
WordNet

push around

  • verb be bossy towards
    bully; ballyrag; bullyrag; hector; boss around; strong-arm; browbeat.
    • Her big brother always bullied her when she was young
WordNet

putter around

  • verb move around aimlessly
    putter; potter; potter around.
WordNet

revolve around

  • verb center upon
    center on; revolve about; focus on; concentrate on; center.
    • Her entire attention centered on her children
    • Our day revolved around our work
  • verb move around in a circular motion
    circle round; circle around.
    • The Earth revolves around the Sun
WordNet

ring-around-a-rosy

  • noun a children's game in which the players dance around in a circle and at a given signal all squat
    ring-around-a-rosy; ring-a-rosy.
WordNet

ring-around-the-rosy

  • noun a children's game in which the players dance around in a circle and at a given signal all squat
    ring-around-a-rosy; ring-a-rosy.
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roll around

  • verb happen regularly
    come around.
    • Christmas rolled around again
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run around

  • verb play boisterously
    disport; rollick; cavort; romp; skylark; sport; frisk; lark; lark about; frolic; gambol.
    • The children frolicked in the garden
    • the gamboling lambs in the meadows
    • The toddlers romped in the playroom
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send around

  • verb forward to others
    • he is sending around an appeal for funds
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sit around

  • verb be around, often idly or without specific purpose
    sit.
    • The object sat in the corner
    • We sat around chatting for another hour
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sleep around

  • verb be sexually active with more than one partner
    bed-hop; bedhop.
    • His wife bed hops
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sleeping around

  • noun indulging in promiscuous (casual and indiscriminate) sexual relations
    promiscuity; promiscuousness.
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slosh around

  • verb spill or splash copiously or clumsily
    slush; slosh around; slosh.
    • slosh paint all over the walls
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slush around

  • verb spill or splash copiously or clumsily
    slush; slosh around; slosh.
    • slosh paint all over the walls
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spin around

  • verb revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
    reel; whirl; spin; gyrate.
    • The dervishes whirl around and around without getting dizzy
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splash around

  • verb play in or as if in water, as of small children
    dabble; paddle.
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stick around

  • verb be available or ready for a certain function or service
    stick about; stand by.
  • verb stay put (in a certain place); we are not moving to Cincinnati"
    stay put; stick; stay.
    • We are staying in Detroit
    • Stay put in the corner here!
    • Stick around and you will learn something!
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swing around

  • verb turn abruptly and face the other way, either physically or metaphorically
    swing about; swing around.
    • He turned around to face his opponent
    • My conscience told me to turn around before I made a mistake
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the other way around

  • adverb with the order reversed
    contrariwise; vice versa.
    • she hates him and vice versa
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To fly around

  • to move about in haste. Colloq.
Webster 1913

To hang around

  • to loiter idly about.
Webster 1913

To haul around

  • (Naut.), to shift to any point of the compass; said of the wind.
Webster 1913

To hem about, around, ∨ in

  • to inclose and confine; to surround; to environ. "With valiant squadrons round about to hem." Fairfax. "Hemmed in to be a spoil to tyranny." Daniel.
Webster 1913

To pass around the hat

  • to take up a collection of voluntary contributions, which are often received in a hat. Collog.
Webster 1913

To turn around one's finger

  • to have complete control of the will and actions of; to be able to influence at pleasure.
Webster 1913

tool around

  • verb ride in a car with no particular goal and just for the pleasure of it
    tool; joyride.
    • We tooled down the street
WordNet

turn around

  • noun turning in an opposite direction or position
    reversal.
    • the reversal of the image in the lens
  • verb turn abruptly and face the other way, either physically or metaphorically
    swing about; swing around.
    • He turned around to face his opponent
    • My conscience told me to turn around before I made a mistake
  • verb improve dramatically
    • The new strategy turned around sales
    • The tutor turned around my son's performance in math
  • verb improve significantly; go from bad to good
    pick up.
    • Her performance in school picked up
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twist around

  • verb practice sophistry; change the meaning of or be vague about in order to mislead or deceive
    twist; convolute; pervert; sophisticate.
    • Don't twist my words
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walk around

  • verb walk with no particular goal
    walk about; perambulate.
    • we were walking around in the garden
    • after breakfast, she walked about in the park
  • verb walk around something
    circumambulate.
  • verb behave in a certain manner or have certain properties
    • He walks around with his nose in the air
    • She walks around with this strange boyfriend
  • verb walk randomly
    • We were walking around in the neighborhood to see whether we could find an open drugstore
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waltz around

  • verb dance a waltz
    waltz.
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wheel around

  • verb wheel somebody or something
    wheel.
  • verb change directions as if revolving on a pivot
    wheel.
    • They wheeled their horses around and left
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whirl around

  • verb fly around
    whirl; tumble.
    • The clothes tumbled in the dryer
    • rising smoke whirled in the air
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year-around

  • adjective operating or continuing throughout the year
    year-round.
    • a year-round resort
    • a year-round job
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