to gad about
3
9.0
- phrasal verb
- UK
:
deambular
- During her vacation, she plans to gad about various tourist spots without any set itinerary.
Examples
-
I went downtown again in the afternoon, a regular gad about all day.
Academic text (1992) -
I popped the roast in the oven and went about my business.
Blog text (30) -
After their hospital stay, they'll be free to go about their normal lives.
-
Some of them were out going about their business, closer to the steamboat than to the shore.
Fiction book (1992) -
Thinking herself to be a budding journalist, she goes about her business blissfully unaware that she is but a carefully supervised prototype.
-
After finishing her work, she loves to gad about the city and explore new cafes.
-
On weekends, he enjoys to gad about, visiting different parks and art exhibits.
Synonyms
379
1.3
Move around without a fixed direction, often slowly and in curves
214
1.7
To go on foot in a place without a clear purpose, often for pleasure
189
2.5
Move around without a fixed place, often while looking for something
100
2.0
To move from place to place without a fixed home or plan
22
6.4
To travel around without a fixed plan, often looking for something
14
4.4
To walk for pleasure without a fixed route
12
4.1
To drive slowly around an area without a specific destination
11
8.4
To roam around for pleasure without a clear plan
8
7.6
To walk around without a clear plan, often slowly and without much energy
8
3.1
To move around a place on your feet without a clear purpose
5
6.5
To spend time doing small, not important tasks slowly without a clear plan
4
6.9
To walk around without a clear purpose
2
7.7
Move around with no set place to go for fun
2
8.2
To travel without a set plan to explore and think
1
6.5
To move around slowly doing small jobs in no hurry
1
9.7
To walk around without a clear destination for pleasure
1
9.9
Move around without a clear plan or purpose
To go from place to place for fun without a plan
Walk around slowly without a plan
To travel slowly without a clear plan
Move around without a plan to have fun
Antonyms
How Aimless
189
2.5
- Informal
11
8.4
379
1.3
- UK
3
9.0
1
5.2
122
1.8
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to go from place to place aimlessly or for pleasure' is directly derivable from combining 'gad' (to travel/roam for amusement) with 'about' (moving around/in the vicinity). This follows a familiar English verb + particle composition (compare 'roam about', 'mess about'), so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Gad about may come from the image of a gad (a gadfly) that stings animals and makes them move. Adding about gives the picture of moving here and there, so it now means 'to go from place to place without a plan'.