run about
phrasal verb·1 sense·particle about
Meanings
Move busily in many directions
Why “about”? Movement has no clear target. It goes in many places, not to one set point.
“Children ran about the garden.”
“Nurses ran about getting the ward ready.”
Don't confuse with
Run about means move busily in many directions. Run along means used to tell a child or someone to leave.
Run about means move busily in many directions. Run around means go to many places quickly to do tasks.
Test yourself
“Children ran about the garden.” What does it mean?
Nearby in the meaning map
Sink In connects verbs by particle pattern, contrast pairs, and shared base verbs.
run along
A contrast learners often mix up
Used to tell a child or someone to leave (often dismissively)
run around
A contrast learners often mix up
Go to many places quickly to do tasks
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
Practice “run about” in Sink In
Drill this and 600+ phrasal verbs with spaced repetition, organised by particle.