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Glite Dictionary
to go walkabout

to go walkabout

2 8.2
To travel without a set plan to explore and think
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
: ir de paseo
  • He wants to go walkabout with King George.

Examples

Synonyms

to walk around
vsto go walkabout
536 1.7

To go on foot in a place without a clear purpose, often for pleasure

is used for wider travel focused on exploration rather than brief leisure
to wander
vsto go walkabout
489 1.3

Move around without a fixed direction, often slowly and in curves

is more about purposeful exploration and inner discovery than simple relaxation
to roam
vsto go walkabout
206 2.5

Move around without a fixed place, often while looking for something

is travel for self discovery and personal exploration rather than casual aimlessness
roving
vsto go walkabout
23 4.1

Moving from place to place without a fixed home

emphasizes temporary wandering while the key highlights personal exploration
to traipse
vsto go walkabout
22 7.6

To walk around without a clear plan, often slowly and without much energy

is travel with intent to explore or discover rather than tired casual movement
to wander the streets
vsto go walkabout
21 2.9

To walk around a town or city without a clear purpose

is not limited to cities and stresses exploration and self discovery
to cruise around
vsto go walkabout
14 4.1

To drive slowly around an area without a specific destination

focuses more on exploration and self discovery than casual leisure travel
to walk about
vsto go walkabout
  • UK
12 3.1

To move around a place on your feet without a clear purpose

is broader, implying longer travel for exploration and self discovery
to traipse around
vsto go walkabout
  • Informal
5 6.9

To walk around without a clear purpose

is travel aimed at exploration and self discovery rather than mere casualness
to traipse through
vsto go walkabout
  • Informal
4 6.8

To walk slowly through a place without a clear purpose

is oriented toward exploration and personal discovery rather than simple passing through
roaming freely
vsto go walkabout
4 3.7

To move around without fences or other limits

is similar but stresses exploration and self discovery rather than mere freedom
to perambulate
vsto go walkabout
1 9.7

To walk around without a clear destination for pleasure

is less formal and stresses personal exploration rather than a polite promenade
to gad
vsto go walkabout
  • UK
1 9.9

To go from place to place for fun without a plan

carries stronger sense of exploration and inner purpose than mere restlessness
to gad about
vsto go walkabout
  • UK
1 9.0

To move around places for pleasure without a plan

is more about searching and self discovery rather than only pleasure trips

Antonyms

to settle down
147 3.0

To start living a quiet, steady life by having a regular job or a family

to stay put
  • Informal
126 2.0

Remain in the same place without moving

How Aimless

to roam
206 2.5
to go walkabout
  • UK
2 8.2
walk
815 1.0

Surface Forms

go walkabout infinitive
going walkabout present participle
goes walkabout third person singular
went walkabout past
gone walkabout past participle

Morphology

go + walkabout

The verb 'go' (to move/travel) combined with the noun 'walkabout' (a journey or temporary wandering) yields a directly compositional meaning: to go on a walkabout, i.e. to travel or roam freely. While 'walkabout' is culturally specific to Australian usage, the construction 'go + noun' is a standard, cross-linguistically common pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Go walkabout comes from a traditional practice among Aboriginal Australians, where young men would leave home and spend a long time walking in the bush to connect with the land and learn about themselves. Because they walked without a set plan, go walkabout now means 'to travel or wander freely', often to clear your mind or 'find yourself'.