fool around

Idioms  

1. Also, monkey around . Engage in idle or casual activity, putter. For example, Jim loved to fool around with his computer , or She was monkeying around with some figures in hopes of balancing the budget . [Second half of 1800s]

2. Engage in frivolous activity, waste time. For example, Instead of studying, he spends all his spare time fooling around . Also see fool away .

3. Engage in flirting or casual sexual acts; also, engage in adultery. For example, He caught the two teenagers fooling around in the basement . [1830s]

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Example Sentences

"He'd fool around at the reception desk and would check patients in," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Swallows, with their forked black tails, fool around in the wind by the raw bluff face, just beneath a stretch of floppy, black, muddy pipe that used to be underground.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2023

Still, “No Rules Sandy” sounds like Sylvan Esso had ample time to fool around in the studio.

From New York Times • Aug. 11, 2022

“Steve was this guy who liked to have fun, not take things too seriously and fool around, which bugged Rudy,” Villa said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2022

Allie had this sailboat he used to like to fool around with on Sundays, and we used to take old Phoebe with us.

From "The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger