fool around
Idioms-
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]
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Engage in frivolous activity, waste time. For example, Instead of studying, he spends all his spare time fooling around . Also see fool away .
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Engage in flirting or casual sexual acts; also, engage in adultery. For example, He caught the two teenagers fooling around in the basement . [1830s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"He'd fool around at the reception desk and would check patients in," he says.
From BBC ● Apr. 14, 2026
“I would just fool around on the instrument, getting used to the space and the sound,” he told Colorado Public Radio.
From New York Times ● Jun. 27, 2023
You don’t want to put yourself at risk of getting sick, so if you see a recall that involves salmonella or E. coli, don’t fool around: Toss the product or return it to the store.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 21, 2022
On that night, I found out Joni was in town, in London, and asked her to come to the studio and just fool around.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 28, 2022
Friends would teach him how to brush his teeth, use a debit card, and fool around with a smartphone.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
