"beat around the bush" meaning in English

See beat around the bush in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-au-beat around the bush.ogg [General-Australian] Forms: beats around the bush [present, singular, third-person], beating around the bush [participle, present], beaten around the bush [participle, past], beaten around the bush [past]
Etymology: From the older form beat about the bush, replacing the preposition. Etymology templates: {{m|en|beat about the bush}} beat about the bush Head templates: {{en-verb|beat<,,beaten> around the bush}} beat around the bush (third-person singular simple present beats around the bush, present participle beating around the bush, simple past and past participle beaten around the bush)
  1. (idiomatic) To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally. Tags: idiomatic Translations (to treat a topic but omit its main points): ջուր ծեծել (ǰur cecel) (Armenian), յուղ վառել (yuġ vaṙel) (Armenian), marejar la perdiu (Catalan), بڕۆ سەر ئەصلی بابەت (Central Kurdish), 拐彎抹角 (Chinese Mandarin), 拐弯抹角 (guǎiwānmòjiǎo) (Chinese Mandarin), 轉彎抹角 (Chinese Mandarin), 转弯抹角 (zhuǎnwānmòjiǎo) (Chinese Mandarin), 兜圈子 (dōuquānzi) (Chinese Mandarin), 繞圈子 (Chinese Mandarin), 绕圈子 (ràoquānzi) (Chinese Mandarin), rond de pot draaien (Dutch), om de hete brij dansen (Dutch), ĉirkaŭparoli (Esperanto), kierrellä (Finnish), jaaritella (Finnish), puhua ummet ja lammet (Finnish), tourner autour du pot (French), um den heißen Brei herumreden (German), kerülgeti, mint macska a forró kását (Hungarian), köntörfalaz (Hungarian), mellébeszél (Hungarian), menare il can per l'aia (Italian), girarci intorno (Italian), tergiversare (Italian), fare giri di parole (Italian), andare per le spicce (Italian), ronderëm de Bräi schwätzen (Luxembourgish), dur mal-lewża (Maltese), tītahataha (Maori), gå som katten rundt den varme grøten (Norwegian), owijać w bawełnę [imperfective] (Polish), fazer rodeios (Portuguese), usar de rodeios (Portuguese), enrolar (Portuguese), encher linguiça (Portuguese), okolišati (Serbo-Croatian), obilaziti kao mačak oko vruće kaše (Serbo-Croatian), andarse con rodeos (Spanish), andar con ambages (Spanish), gå som katten kring gröten (Swedish), pasikut-sikot (english: roundabout) (Tagalog), magpaligoy-ligoy (Tagalog), lumigoy-ligoy (Tagalog)
    Sense id: en-beat_around_the_bush-en-verb-NPe~YQb2 Disambiguation of 'to treat a topic but omit its main points': 97 3
  2. (idiomatic) To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: go around the houses, prevaricate, pussyfoot, ramble, tergiversate, waffle Translations (to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant): ջուր ծեծել (ǰur cecel) (Armenian), յուղ վառել (yuġ vaṙel) (Armenian), 轉彎抹角 (Chinese Cantonese), 转弯抹角 (zyun³ waan¹ mut³ gok³, zyun³ waan¹ mut⁶ gok³) (Chinese Cantonese), 遊花園 (Chinese Cantonese), 拐彎抹角 (Chinese Mandarin), 拐弯抹角 (guǎiwānmòjiǎo) (Chinese Mandarin), chodit kolem horké kaše (Czech), rond de pot draaien (Dutch), om de hete brij dansen (Dutch), ĉirkaŭparoli (Esperanto), kiertää kuin kissa kuumaa puuroa (Finnish), kierrellä (Finnish), tourner autour du pot (French), um den heißen Brei herumreden (German), köntörfalaz (Hungarian), tala í kringum (Icelandic), fara í kringum eins og köttur í kringum heitan graut (Icelandic), menare il can per l'aia (Italian), dur mal-lewża (Maltese), tītahataha (Maori), gå som katten rundt den varme grøten (Norwegian), owijać w bawełnę (Polish), enrolar (Portuguese), embromar (Portuguese), encher linguiça (Portuguese), ir por los cerros de Úbeda (Spanish), andarse por las ramas (Spanish), gå som katten kring het gröt (Swedish), pasikut-sikot (Tagalog), lafı dolandırmak (Turkish), vòng vo tam quốc (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-beat_around_the_bush-en-verb-A74NCMYH Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English predicates Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 28 72 Disambiguation of English predicates: 42 58 Disambiguation of 'to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant': 2 98
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: beat about the bush Related terms: beat the bushes, long-winded Coordinate_terms: circumlocute, hem and haw

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

Download JSON data for beat around the bush meaning in English (17.0kB)

{
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "circumlocute"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hem and haw"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "beat about the bush"
      },
      "expansion": "beat about the bush",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the older form beat about the bush, replacing the preposition.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "beats around the bush",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beating around the bush",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beaten around the bush",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beaten around the bush",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beat<,,beaten> around the bush"
      },
      "expansion": "beat around the bush (third-person singular simple present beats around the bush, present participle beating around the bush, simple past and past participle beaten around the bush)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "beat the bushes"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "long-winded"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally."
      ],
      "id": "en-beat_around_the_bush-en-verb-NPe~YQb2",
      "links": [
        [
          "treat",
          "treat"
        ],
        [
          "omit",
          "omit"
        ],
        [
          "points",
          "points"
        ],
        [
          "intentionally",
          "intentionally"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "ǰur cecel",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "ջուր ծեծել"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "yuġ vaṙel",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "յուղ վառել"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "marejar la perdiu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "拐彎抹角"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "guǎiwānmòjiǎo",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "拐弯抹角"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "轉彎抹角"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zhuǎnwānmòjiǎo",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "转弯抹角"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "dōuquānzi",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "兜圈子"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "繞圈子"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "ràoquānzi",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "绕圈子"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "rond de pot draaien"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "om de hete brij dansen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "ĉirkaŭparoli"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "kierrellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "jaaritella"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "puhua ummet ja lammet"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "tourner autour du pot"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "um den heißen Brei herumreden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "kerülgeti, mint macska a forró kását"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "köntörfalaz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "mellébeszél"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "menare il can per l'aia"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "girarci intorno"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "tergiversare"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "fare giri di parole"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "andare per le spicce"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ckb",
          "lang": "Central Kurdish",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "بڕۆ سەر ئەصلی بابەت"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "lb",
          "lang": "Luxembourgish",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "ronderëm de Bräi schwätzen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "mt",
          "lang": "Maltese",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "dur mal-lewża"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "tītahataha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "gå som katten rundt den varme grøten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "owijać w bawełnę"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "fazer rodeios"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "usar de rodeios"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "enrolar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "encher linguiça"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "ходи́ть вокру́г да о́коло (xodítʹ vokrúg da ókolo, literally “walk round and about”)",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "тяну́ть рези́ну (tjanútʹ rezínu, literally “pull rubber”)",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "перелива́ть из пусто́го в поро́жнее (perelivátʹ iz pustóvo v poróžneje, literally “empty one container into another”)",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "okolišati"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "obilaziti kao mačak oko vruće kaše"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "andarse con rodeos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "andar con ambages"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "gå som katten kring gröten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "tl",
          "english": "roundabout",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "pasikut-sikot"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "magpaligoy-ligoy"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
          "word": "lumigoy-ligoy"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "note": "ออกทะเล (ɔ̀ɔk-tá-lee, literally “to go out to the sea”)",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "97 3",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "note": "ชักแม่น้ำทั้งห้า (chák-mɛ̂ɛ-náam-táng-hâa, literally “to allude to all the five rivers”)",
          "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "cut to the chase"
        },
        {
          "word": "get on with"
        },
        {
          "word": "get to the point"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "28 72",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "42 58",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English predicates",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Just stop beating around the bush and tell me what the problem is!",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1870, Horatio Alger, Rufus and Rose",
          "text": "\"Look here,\" said Smith, menacingly, \"if you think I cheated you, you might as well say so right out. I don't like beating around the bush.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant."
      ],
      "id": "en-beat_around_the_bush-en-verb-A74NCMYH",
      "links": [
        [
          "delay",
          "delay"
        ],
        [
          "avoid",
          "avoid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go around the houses"
        },
        {
          "word": "prevaricate"
        },
        {
          "word": "pussyfoot"
        },
        {
          "word": "ramble"
        },
        {
          "word": "tergiversate"
        },
        {
          "word": "waffle"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "ǰur cecel",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "ջուր ծեծել"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "hy",
          "lang": "Armenian",
          "roman": "yuġ vaṙel",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "յուղ վառել"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "轉彎抹角"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "roman": "zyun³ waan¹ mut³ gok³, zyun³ waan¹ mut⁶ gok³",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "转弯抹角"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "遊花園"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "yue",
          "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
          "note": "游花园 (jau⁴ faa¹ jyun⁴⁻², literally “to wander around the garden”)",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "拐彎抹角"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "guǎiwānmòjiǎo",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "拐弯抹角"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "chodit kolem horké kaše"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "rond de pot draaien"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "om de hete brij dansen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "ĉirkaŭparoli"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "kiertää kuin kissa kuumaa puuroa"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "kierrellä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "tourner autour du pot"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "um den heißen Brei herumreden"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "köntörfalaz"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "tala í kringum"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "fara í kringum eins og köttur í kringum heitan graut"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "menare il can per l'aia"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "mt",
          "lang": "Maltese",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "dur mal-lewża"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "tītahataha"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "no",
          "lang": "Norwegian",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "gå som katten rundt den varme grøten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "owijać w bawełnę"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "enrolar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "embromar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "encher linguiça"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "ходи́ть вокру́г да о́коло (xodítʹ vokrúg da ókolo, literally “walk round and about”)",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "тяну́ть рязи́ну (tjanútʹ rjazínu, literally “pull rubber”)",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "note": "перелива́ть из пусто́го в поро́жнее (perelivátʹ iz pustóvo v poróžneje, literally “empty one container into another”)",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "ir por los cerros de Úbeda"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "andarse por las ramas"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "gå som katten kring het gröt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "pasikut-sikot"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "note": "ออกทะเล (ɔ̀ɔk-tá-lee, literally “to go out to the sea”)",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "note": "ชักแม่น้ำทั้งห้า (chák-mɛ̂ɛ-náam-táng-hâa, literally “to allude to all the five rivers”)",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "lafı dolandırmak"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 98",
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
          "word": "vòng vo tam quốc"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-beat around the bush.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/En-au-beat_around_the_bush.ogg/En-au-beat_around_the_bush.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/En-au-beat_around_the_bush.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "General-Australian"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (General Australian)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "beat about the bush"
    }
  ],
  "word": "beat around the bush"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English predicates",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs",
    "Requests for review of Japanese translations",
    "Requests for review of Korean translations"
  ],
  "coordinate_terms": [
    {
      "word": "circumlocute"
    },
    {
      "word": "hem and haw"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "beat about the bush"
      },
      "expansion": "beat about the bush",
      "name": "m"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the older form beat about the bush, replacing the preposition.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "beats around the bush",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beating around the bush",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beaten around the bush",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beaten around the bush",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "beat<,,beaten> around the bush"
      },
      "expansion": "beat around the bush (third-person singular simple present beats around the bush, present participle beating around the bush, simple past and past participle beaten around the bush)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "beat the bushes"
    },
    {
      "word": "long-winded"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "treat",
          "treat"
        ],
        [
          "omit",
          "omit"
        ],
        [
          "points",
          "points"
        ],
        [
          "intentionally",
          "intentionally"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To treat a topic, but omit its main points, often intentionally."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "cut to the chase"
        },
        {
          "word": "get on with"
        },
        {
          "word": "get to the point"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Just stop beating around the bush and tell me what the problem is!",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1870, Horatio Alger, Rufus and Rose",
          "text": "\"Look here,\" said Smith, menacingly, \"if you think I cheated you, you might as well say so right out. I don't like beating around the bush.\"",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "delay",
          "delay"
        ],
        [
          "avoid",
          "avoid"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go around the houses"
        },
        {
          "word": "prevaricate"
        },
        {
          "word": "pussyfoot"
        },
        {
          "word": "ramble"
        },
        {
          "word": "tergiversate"
        },
        {
          "word": "waffle"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-beat around the bush.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/20/En-au-beat_around_the_bush.ogg/En-au-beat_around_the_bush.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/20/En-au-beat_around_the_bush.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "General-Australian"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (General Australian)"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "beat about the bush"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "ǰur cecel",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "ջուր ծեծել"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "yuġ vaṙel",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "յուղ վառել"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "marejar la perdiu"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "拐彎抹角"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "guǎiwānmòjiǎo",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "拐弯抹角"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "轉彎抹角"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zhuǎnwānmòjiǎo",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "转弯抹角"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "dōuquānzi",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "兜圈子"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "繞圈子"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "ràoquānzi",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "绕圈子"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "rond de pot draaien"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "om de hete brij dansen"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "ĉirkaŭparoli"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "kierrellä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "jaaritella"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "puhua ummet ja lammet"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "tourner autour du pot"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "um den heißen Brei herumreden"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "kerülgeti, mint macska a forró kását"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "köntörfalaz"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "mellébeszél"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "menare il can per l'aia"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "girarci intorno"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "tergiversare"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "fare giri di parole"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "andare per le spicce"
    },
    {
      "code": "ckb",
      "lang": "Central Kurdish",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "بڕۆ سەر ئەصلی بابەت"
    },
    {
      "code": "lb",
      "lang": "Luxembourgish",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "ronderëm de Bräi schwätzen"
    },
    {
      "code": "mt",
      "lang": "Maltese",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "dur mal-lewża"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "tītahataha"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "gå som katten rundt den varme grøten"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "owijać w bawełnę"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "fazer rodeios"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "usar de rodeios"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "enrolar"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "encher linguiça"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "ходи́ть вокру́г да о́коло (xodítʹ vokrúg da ókolo, literally “walk round and about”)",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "тяну́ть рези́ну (tjanútʹ rezínu, literally “pull rubber”)",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "перелива́ть из пусто́го в поро́жнее (perelivátʹ iz pustóvo v poróžneje, literally “empty one container into another”)",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "okolišati"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "obilaziti kao mačak oko vruće kaše"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "andarse con rodeos"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "andar con ambages"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "gå som katten kring gröten"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "english": "roundabout",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "pasikut-sikot"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "magpaligoy-ligoy"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points",
      "word": "lumigoy-ligoy"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "note": "ออกทะเล (ɔ̀ɔk-tá-lee, literally “to go out to the sea”)",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "note": "ชักแม่น้ำทั้งห้า (chák-mɛ̂ɛ-náam-táng-hâa, literally “to allude to all the five rivers”)",
      "sense": "to treat a topic but omit its main points"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "ǰur cecel",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "ջուր ծեծել"
    },
    {
      "code": "hy",
      "lang": "Armenian",
      "roman": "yuġ vaṙel",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "յուղ վառել"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "轉彎抹角"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "roman": "zyun³ waan¹ mut³ gok³, zyun³ waan¹ mut⁶ gok³",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "转弯抹角"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "遊花園"
    },
    {
      "code": "yue",
      "lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
      "note": "游花园 (jau⁴ faa¹ jyun⁴⁻², literally “to wander around the garden”)",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "拐彎抹角"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "guǎiwānmòjiǎo",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "拐弯抹角"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "chodit kolem horké kaše"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "rond de pot draaien"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "om de hete brij dansen"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "ĉirkaŭparoli"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "kiertää kuin kissa kuumaa puuroa"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "kierrellä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "tourner autour du pot"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "um den heißen Brei herumreden"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "köntörfalaz"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "tala í kringum"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "fara í kringum eins og köttur í kringum heitan graut"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "menare il can per l'aia"
    },
    {
      "code": "mt",
      "lang": "Maltese",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "dur mal-lewża"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "tītahataha"
    },
    {
      "code": "no",
      "lang": "Norwegian",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "gå som katten rundt den varme grøten"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "owijać w bawełnę"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "enrolar"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "embromar"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "encher linguiça"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "ходи́ть вокру́г да о́коло (xodítʹ vokrúg da ókolo, literally “walk round and about”)",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "тяну́ть рязи́ну (tjanútʹ rjazínu, literally “pull rubber”)",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "перелива́ть из пусто́го в поро́жнее (perelivátʹ iz pustóvo v poróžneje, literally “empty one container into another”)",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "ir por los cerros de Úbeda"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "andarse por las ramas"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "gå som katten kring het gröt"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "pasikut-sikot"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "note": "ออกทะเล (ɔ̀ɔk-tá-lee, literally “to go out to the sea”)",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "note": "ชักแม่น้ำทั้งห้า (chák-mɛ̂ɛ-náam-táng-hâa, literally “to allude to all the five rivers”)",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "lafı dolandırmak"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "to delay or avoid talking about something difficult or unpleasant",
      "word": "vòng vo tam quốc"
    }
  ],
  "word": "beat around the bush"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.