about

[ uh-bout ]

/ əˈbaʊt /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for about on Thesaurus.com

preposition

of; concerning; in regard to: instructions about the work; a book about the Civil War.

connected or associated with: There was an air of mystery about him.

near; close to: a man about my height; about six o'clock.

in or somewhere near: He is about the house.

on every side of; around: the railing about the excavation.

on or near (one's person): They lost all they had about them.

so as to be of use to: Keep your wits about you.

on the verge or point of (usually followed by an infinitive): about to leave.

here or there in, on, or over: to wander about the old castle;to look about the auditorium at the audience.

concerned with; engaged in doing: Tell me what it's about. Bring me the other book while you're about it.

adverb

near in time, number, degree, etc.; approximately: It's about five miles from here.

nearly; almost: Dinner is about ready.

nearby; not far off: He is somewhere about.

on every side; in every direction; around: Look about and see if you can find it.

halfway around; in the opposite direction: to turn a car about.

from one place to another; in this place or that: to move furniture about; important papers strewn about.

in rotation or succession; alternately: Turn about is fair play.

in circumference: a wheel two inches about.

Nautical.

onto a new tack.
onto a new course.

adjective

moving around; astir: He was up and about while the rest of us still slept.

in existence; current; prevalent: Chicken pox is about.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of about

before 900; Middle English aboute(n), Old English abūtan, onbūtan on the outside of (a-a-¹ + būtan outside (see but¹, but²), equivalent to b(e) by + ūtan), cognate with Gothic utana,Old Norse, Old Saxon ūtan,Old Frisian ūta,Old High German ūzan(a) outside; see out; cf. above, abaft for formation

Words nearby about

aboudikro, abought, Aboukir Bay, aboulia, abound, about, about face, about ship, about time, about to, about turn

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use about in a sentence

If the oft-talked-about college “hook-up culture” could be embodied by a place, it would be Shooters.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating|Ellie Schaack|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Thus far, the most talked-about Green Friday hotspot is Denver dispensary the Grass Station.
Colorado Weed Dispensaries Celebrate ‘Green Friday’|Abby Haglage|November 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A former talked-about, maybe-presidential candidate, Andrew Cuomo now hints at Hillary for president at his own re-election event.
If Clinton Runs for President, Cuomo’s on Board|David Freedlander|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Her book, for example, does not discuss her buzzed-about, scantily clad Maxim photo shoot from last year, and so neither do we.
'Boy Meets World' Star Danielle Fishel Is OK with Being Topanga Forever|Kevin Fallon|September 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

So when it was revealed he would instead be showing in New York, it quickly became one of the most buzzed-about shows of the week.
Gareth Pugh's Fashion Show Lacked Fashion, But Not Passion|Justin Jones|September 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These stories by a round-about way, gathering in circumstantial detail as they travelled, had reached his sister.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
A few carbine and musket shots, from the knoll and house, soon brought them to a halt, and sent them to the right-about.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 67, Number 414, April, 1850|Various
A commotion, a squeal, a thrashing-about near at hand caused both to turn suddenly.
Blazed Trail Stories|Stewart Edward White
I've seen the night when Brocken would be tame beside the pandemonium round-about.
The Adventures of Kathlyn|Harold MacGrath
I soon found he was a regular millstone round my neck—particularly when we were on the “walk-about.”
The Adventures of Louis de Rougemont|Louis de Rougemont

British Dictionary definitions for about

about

/ (əˈbaʊt) /

preposition

relating to; concerning; on the subject of

near or close to (in space or time)

carried onI haven't any money about me

on every side of; all the way around

active in or engaged inshe is about her business

about to

on the point of; intending toshe was about to jump
(with a negative) determined not tonobody is about to miss it

adverb

approximately; near in number, time, degree, etcabout 50 years old

nearby

here and there; from place to place; in no particular directionwalk about to keep warm

all around; on every side

in or to the opposite directionhe turned about and came back

in rotation or revolutionturn and turn about

used in informal phrases to indicate understatementI've had just about enough of your insults; it's about time you stopped

archaic in circumference; around

adjective

(predicative) active; astir after sleepup and about

(predicative) in existence, current, or in circulationthere aren't many about nowadays

Word Origin for about

Old English abūtan, onbūtan on the outside of, around, from on + būtan outside

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with about

about

In addition to the idioms beginning with about

about time
about to

also see:

at about
beat about the bush
bring about
cast about
come about
do an about-face
get about
go about (one's business)
how about (that)
just about
knock about
lay about
man about town
nose about (around)
no two ways about it
order someone about
out and about
see about
send someone about someone's business
set about
that's about the size of it
up and about
what about someone (something)

about

Origin of about

Words nearby about

Words related to about

How to use about in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for about

Word Origin for about

Other Idioms and Phrases with about