kick about

Thân thiện

The old man still likes to kick about a football in the park.

Definition

Verb (intransitive, informal): 1. To be present, alive, or in existence; to be active or circulating: This sense describes something or someone continuing to exist, function, or be talked about in a place or context. 2. To be present or available in a place without a specific purpose; to linger or spend time idly: This sense describes the act of being somewhere in a casual, unhurried, or aimless manner.

Usage and Examples

• Indicating continued existence or activity:
  • That rumor has been kicking about for years.
  • Does the old man still kick about?
• Indicating casual presence or idling:
  • He spent the afternoon just kicking about the house.
  • I've got a few old tools kicking about in the garage if you need them.

Advanced Usage

• "to kick an idea about": To discuss or consider an idea in a preliminary, informal way.
  • We kicked the proposal about for a while before making a decision.

Variants and Related Words

• Kick around (phrasal verb): A common variant with identical meanings to "kick about."
  • He's been kicking around Europe for a few months.

Synonyms

• Linger: To stay in a place longer than necessary.
• Circulate: To move around or be passed among people.
• Exist: To have being or continue to be.
• Loiter: To stand or wait around idly.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Hang about/around: To loiter or wait in a place.
  • He likes to hang about the park after school.
• Knock about/around: To travel or live in a casual, unstructured way; also to be present.
  • He's been knocking about South America for a year.

Related Idioms

• To be knocking about: To be present or available somewhere.
  • There should be a spare key knocking about somewhere.

Học thuật

Verb

1. be around; be alive or active
   • Does the old man still kick around?

Từ đồng nghĩa

• kick around
• knock about