around

- definition

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adverb, preposition British English pronunciation: around

/əˈraʊnd/

Around can be used in the following ways:

as a preposition (followed by a noun): We walked around the old town.

as an adverb (without a following noun): She turned around and smiled at me. (after the verb ‘to be’): Don’t discuss this when the children are around.

1
used for showing movement
1. a.
  moving in a circular way
  The Earth goes around the Sun.
  The wind makes the windmill’s sails spin around.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
2. b.
  moving to many different parts or areas
  We drove around looking for a hotel.
  I wish you’d stop following me around.
  There’s a rumour going around that she’s leaving her job.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
3. c.
  moving so that you face in the opposite direction
  Martha heard a noise and spun around to see what it was.
  When we got to the border, the guards made us turn around and go back.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
4. d.
  moving so that you get to the other side of something
  At that moment a truck came rushing around the corner.
  Go around to the back of the house and see if anyone’s in the garden.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
2
used for showing where someone/something is
1. a.
  surrounding or enclosing something
  Arrange the chairs around the table.
  Sam had his arm around Mandy’s waist.
  Everyone crowded around the little dog.
  a cottage with woods all around
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
2. b.
  in many different parts or areas
  They have about 15 offices scattered around the country.
  Why are all those clothes lying around on the floor?
  The Games were watched by millions of people around the world.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
3. c.
  in or close to a place or area
  the quiet country roads around Chester
  Is your wife around? I’d like to talk to her.
  in and around:
  People living in and around the Chernobyl area were the worst affected.
  somewhere around:
  The factory is in Sacramento, or somewhere around there.
  for miles around:
  It’s one of the most popular restaurants for miles around.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
4. d.
  in a place with other people, because you live there or spend a lot of time there
  She said her husband hadn’t been around when she really needed him.
  The place gets so messy when the children are around.
  Brian had been around London for years, and knew all the right people.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
3
searching, looking, or trying to find something
1. a.
  used for saying that someone looks in different places because they want to find something
  She walked in, glanced around the hall, and went out.
  It seemed like someone had been snooping around in my office.
2. b.
  used for saying that someone asks many people in order to find something
  I’ll ask around and see if anyone has his address.
  It’s a good idea to shop around to get the best deal on your insurance.
4
not exact
1. a.
  used for showing that you are guessing a number or amount
  There must have been around 500 people there.
  Damage was estimated at around £20 million.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
2. b.
  used for referring to a time that is not exact
  It was around that time that people started worrying about the ozone layer.
  We got back around 11.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
5
used for showing how someone is spending their time
1. a.
  spending time in a place not doing much
  We got tired of waiting around.
  A group of old men were sitting around playing cards.
  They spent the day lounging around the pool.
  Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
2. b.
  wasting time and behaving in a stupid way
  A bunch of kids was messing around outside the school.
  I was fooling around and I broke my arm.
6
used for saying that a certain type of person, product etc exists or is available at this time
There are some really good new video games around.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around
7
about a particular subject
There is a lot of anxiety around the whole process of globalization.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around

phrase

the biggest/best/fastest etc around
used for talking about the biggest/best etc thing that exists
It’s one of the biggest shopping centres around.
Thesaurus entry for this meaning of around

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

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