fool around
phrasal verb·2 senses·particle around
Meanings
Behave in a silly or playful way
Why “around”? Wandering without direction. The path loops back without ever arriving.
“Stop fooling around in class.”
“The boys fooled around during rehearsal.”
“The kids fooled around with silly voices.”
Have casual romantic or sexual relationships
“He fools around with anyone.”
“She says her ex fooled around a lot.”
Don't confuse with
Fool around means behave in a silly or playful way. Fool about means behave foolishly or waste time.
Test yourself
“Stop fooling around in class.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
fool about
A contrast learners often mix up
Behave foolishly or waste time
dick around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Waste time doing nothing useful (informal, sometimes rude)
go around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Take a longer path to avoid something; Move in a circular path; Be enough for everyone in a group; Behave in a particular way habitually; (of an illness) be common in a community
hang around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Stay nearby without a purpose; Stay in a place without doing much; Spend time with a person or group regularly
lie around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Be left unused in plain sight
lounge around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Pass time in a relaxed sprawl
mess around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Spend time in a careless or playful way; Treat someone unfairly or unreliably
mooch around
Same around pattern: no clear way
Drift about with no purpose
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