fool around

Học thuật
Thân thiện
fool around

The children fool around in the backyard after school.

Definition
  1. Verb:
    • To behave in a silly, playful, or unserious manner: To engage in frivolous or non-productive activity, often instead of doing something important.
    • To engage in casual, unserious, or non-committal romantic or sexual activity: To spend time with someone in a flirtatious or unserious way, without a deep commitment.
Usage
  • The primary meaning is to act playfully or waste time. It often implies a lack of focus or seriousness.
  • It can describe unserious romantic or sexual behavior, suggesting a lack of commitment or fidelity.
  • It is an informal, phrasal verb.
Examples
  • Verb:
    • Stop fooling around and finish your homework. (Behaving in a silly, unserious way)
    • The meeting was delayed because the technicians were fooling around with the projector. (Wasting time on non-essential activity)
    • He's not looking for a serious relationship; he just likes to fool around. (Engaging in unserious romantic/sexual activity)
Advanced Usage
  • "to fool around with (something)": to experiment or tinker with something in a casual, non-expert way.
    • He likes to fool around with old car engines on the weekend.
  • "to fool around with (someone)": to be involved in a casual, unserious romantic or sexual relationship with someone.
    • Rumors say she's been fooling around with her coworker.
Variants and Related Words
  • Horse around (verb): A near-synonym meaning to engage in rough, playful behavior.
    • The kids were horsing around in the living room.
  • Mess around (verb): Very similar in meaning to "fool around," covering both playful behavior and casual romantic involvement.
  • Fool about (verb): A British English variant with the same meaning as "fool around."
Synonyms
  • Play around: To behave playfully or engage in unserious activity.
  • Clown around: To act like a clown; to behave in a silly way to amuse others.
  • Dally: To act or move slowly or waste time; to engage in flirtation.
Related Phrasal Verbs
  • Fool with: To handle or interfere with something carelessly or without permission. (Note: This is distinct from "fool around with," which implies casual experimentation).
    • Don't fool with that switch; you might break it.
Related Idioms
  • Fooling around: Used as a noun phrase to describe the act of behaving in a silly or unserious way.
    • All this fooling around has to stop.
  • No fooling around: A command or statement meaning "be serious" or "stop wasting time."
    • Okay, no fooling around—we have a deadline to meet.
fool around

The children fool around in the backyard after school.

Verb
  1. commit adultery
    • he plays around a lot
  2. indulge in horseplay
    • Enough horsing around--let's get back to work!
    • The bored children were fooling about

Từ đồng nghĩa