about

Study(27)

/əˈbaʊt/

prep 5adv 5adj 3verb 2

Collocations

ADJ.

articulate, conscientious, daily, high, most, other, over, pretentious

She was very articulate about her reasons for leaving the company.

VERB + ABOUT

arguing, bind, care, claims, coiled, concealing, doubts, dreamt

They were arguing about who should pay for dinner last night.

ABOUT + NOUN

ankle, boy, crime, freedom, interactions, it's, life, lovers

The police investigation was about a crime that happened downtown last month.

PREP.

out, up, up, with

I need to write a sentence using "about" as a preposition with one of the collocates: out, up, up, with. Let me consider natural phrases: - "about out" - doesn't form a common phrase - "about up" - could work with

ADV.

often, quite

I'm quite about to leave for work when my phone rang.

Definitions

prep

In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of; around.

The snake was coiled about his ankle.

So look about you; know you any here?

Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.

Rubbish was strewn about the place.

The children were running about the room.

Indicates that something will happen very soon; indicates a plan or intention to do something.

[It] was held, that the latter requirement was fulfilled by an affidavit declaring that "the defendant was about leaving the State permanently."

Concerning; with regard to; on account of; on the subject of.

He talked a lot about his childhood.

We must do something about this problem.

adv

On all sides, or in every or any direction from a point; around.

I looked about at the scenery that surrounded me.

Why, then, I see, ’tis time to look about, / When every boy Alphonsus dares control.

Here and there; around; in one place and another; up and down.

Bits of old machinery were lying about.

... the tocsins of immemorial strife were sounding all about, the fierce old bell pealing out its periodical summons from the airy heights of the Palazzo Vecchio, and armed men, fierce and furious, swarming about the streets.

From one place or position to another in succession; indicating repeated movement or activity.

walking about; rushing about; jumping about; thrashing about

1769, King James Bible, Oxford Standard text, 1 Timothy, v,13, And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Indicating unproductive or unstructured activity.

messing about; fooling about; loafing about

Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence in quality, manner, degree, quantity, or time; almost.

It’s about as cold as it was last winter.

He owes me about three hundred dollars.

adj

Moving around or in motion; astir.

out and about; up and about

After my bout with Guillan-Barre Syndrome, it took me 6 months to be up and about again.

In existence; being in evidence; apparent.

This idea has been about for a while but has only recently become fashionable.

To my mind, transportation engineering is similar to flying in the 1930s — it has been about for some time but it has taken the present economic jolt to shake it out of its infancy, in the same way that the war started the development of flying to its current stage.

Near; in the vicinity or neighbourhood.

I had my keys just a minute ago, so they must be about somewhere.

Watch out, there's a thief about.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

adverb — (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct

adverb — in the area or vicinity

around

adverb — all around or on all sides

around

adverb — in or to a reversed position or direction

around

adverb — used of movement to or among many different places or in no

around

adverb — (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomp

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

it's about time

Used to express impatience at the eventual occurrence of something that the speaker or writer has deemed to be long overdue.

So Johnny has finally learned the alphabet - it's about time too, he's 6!

no two ways about it

No other possible action, choice or option.

There are no two ways about it. We'll have to start over from the very beginning.

nothing to write home about

Not exceptional; not noteworthy or especially good.

The vegetables were okay, but the soup was nothing to write home about.

have one's wits about one

To remain calm, composed, focused, or aware.

He was confused, half elated, half disappointed, and had not his wits about him.

about to

Indicates something that will happen very soon; indicates action that is imminent; ready to; went to

He's standing at the edge, and I think he's about to jump.

Example Bank

The snake was coiled about his ankle.

Wiktionary

So look about you; know you any here?

Wiktionary

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Wiktionary

I looked about at the scenery that surrounded me.

Wiktionary

Why, then, I see, ’tis time to look about, / When every boy Alphonsus dares control.

Wiktionary

all the blessings / Of a glad father compass thee about

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, about is marked as obsolete, humorous. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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