loaf about
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle about
Meanings
Spend time idly without doing anything productive
Why “about”? Movement spreads in many directions, without one clear target.
“He loafed about all weekend.”
“She loafed about instead of helping.”
Test yourself
“He loafed about all weekend.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
fool about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Behave foolishly or waste time
fuss about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Move or worry busily without much purpose
get about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Move around or travel in general
hang about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Spend time waiting or loitering somewhere
knock about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Travel or move around in various places
lie about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Be left untidily in various places; Tell untruths concerning a subject
mess about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Spend time idly or playfully without serious purpose
potter about
Same about pattern: everywhere
Spend time doing small, casual tasks
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