Around

//əˈɹaʊnd// adj, adv, prep, slang

adj, adv, prep, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Present in the vicinity. informal, not-comparable, predicative

    "Is Clare around today?"

  2. 2
    Alive; existing. informal, not-comparable, predicative

    "The record store on Main Street? Yes, it's still around."

Adverb
  1. 1
    So as to form a circle or trace a circular path, or approximation thereof. not-comparable

    "High above, vultures circled around."

  2. 2
    So as to surround or be near. not-comparable

    "Everybody please gather around."

  3. 3
    Nearly; approximately; about. not-comparable

    "Around a thousand people attended."

  4. 4
    From place to place. not-comparable

    "There are rumors going around that the company is bankrupt."

  5. 5
    From one state or condition to an opposite or very different one; with a metaphorical change in direction; bringing about awareness or agreement. not-comparable

    "The team wasn't doing well, but the new coach really turned things around."

Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    So as to partially or completely rotate; so as to face in the opposite direction. not-comparable, usually

    "Turn around at the end of this street."

  2. 7
    Used with verbs to indicate repeated or continuous action, or in numerous locations or with numerous people. not-comparable

    "I asked around, and no-one really liked it."

  3. 8
    Used with certain verbs to suggest unproductive activity. not-comparable

    "sit around, mess around, loaf around"

Adverb
  1. 1
    (of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct wordnet
  2. 2
    in circumference wordnet
  3. 3
    in the area or vicinity wordnet
  4. 4
    from beginning to end; throughout wordnet
  5. 5
    by a circular or circuitous route wordnet
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  1. 6
    in a circle or circular motion wordnet
  2. 7
    all around or on all sides wordnet
  3. 8
    to a particular destination either specified or understood wordnet
  4. 9
    in or to a reversed position or direction wordnet
  5. 10
    used of movement to or among many different places or in no particular direction wordnet
Preposition
  1. 1
    Forming a circle or closed curve containing (something).

    "She wore a gold chain around her neck."

  2. 2
    Centred upon; surrounding; regarding.

    "We could use some clarification around the new rules."

  3. 3
    Following the perimeter of a specified area and returning to the starting point.

    "We walked around the football field."

  4. 4
    Following a path which curves near an object, with the object on the inside of the curve.

    "The road took a brief detour around the large rock formation, then went straight on."

  5. 5
    Near; in the vicinity of.

    "I left my keys somewhere around here."

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    At or to various places within or throughout.

    "The pages from the notebook were scattered around the room."

Synonyms

All synonyms
aboutapproximatelyenvirongive or takeaboutagain

Example

More examples

"With so many people around he naturally became a bit nervous."

Etymology

From Middle English around, arounde, from a- (from Old English a- (“on, at”)) + Middle English round (“circle, round”) borrowed from French, equivalent to a- + round. Cognate with Scots aroond, aroon (“around”). Displaced earlier Middle English umbe, embe (“around”) (from Old English ymbe (“around”)).

Related phrases

a lie can run around the world before the truth can get its boots onalbatross around one's neckall aroundall-aroundaround Robin Hood's barnaround aboutaround and aroundaround one's earsaround the Hornaround the bendaround the clockaround the corner

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.