"fool around" meaning in English

See fool around in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-au-fool around.ogg [Australia], LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-fool around.wav [Southern-England] Forms: fools around [present, singular, third-person], fooling around [participle, present], fooled around [participle, past], fooled around [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} fool around (third-person singular simple present fools around, present participle fooling around, simple past and past participle fooled around)
  1. (intransitive, idiomatic) To engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around. Tags: idiomatic, intransitive Translations (to behave in a thoughtless or irresponsible way): mākahi (Maori) Translations (to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)): 鬼混 (guǐhùn) (Chinese Mandarin), tosse rundt (Danish), hölmöillä (Finnish), faire l’imbécile (French), flâner (French), herumalbern (German), ふざける (fuzakeru) (Japanese), dēsipiō (Latin), whakarunaruna (Maori), porohīanga (Maori), wygłupiać się (Polish), molestar (Portuguese), encher o saco (Portuguese), валя́ть дурака́ (valjátʹ duraká) (Russian), дура́читься (duráčitʹsja) (Russian), 亂它 (Xiang Chinese), 乱它 (lonn⁵ do²) (Xiang Chinese), 希望 (lonn⁵ do²) (Xiang Chinese)
    Sense id: en-fool_around-en-verb-~1Dj-D-R Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (around) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 44 2 48 6 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (around): 43 4 37 15 Disambiguation of 'to behave in a thoughtless or irresponsible way': 41 0 27 32 Disambiguation of 'to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)': 70 0 17 14
  2. (intransitive) To waste time. Tags: intransitive Translations (to waste time): traînailler (French), se la couler douce (French), flâner (French), pelar la pava [Spain, colloquial] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-fool_around-en-verb-ac~Z6-on Disambiguation of 'to waste time': 0 100 0 0
  3. (intransitive, informal, idiomatic) To engage in casual or flirtatious sexual acts. Tags: idiomatic, informal, intransitive
    Sense id: en-fool_around-en-verb-ww0oirdU Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs with particle (around) Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 44 2 48 6 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (around): 43 4 37 15
  4. (intransitive, informal) To engage in adultery; to play around. Tags: informal, intransitive Categories (topical): Sex
    Sense id: en-fool_around-en-verb-VTxDnqQ1 Disambiguation of Sex: 11 0 20 68 Categories (other): English phrasal verbs with particle (around) Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs with particle (around): 43 4 37 15

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for fool around meaning in English (7.1kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fools around",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fooling around",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fooled around",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fooled around",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "fool around (third-person singular simple present fools around, present participle fooling around, simple past and past participle fooled around)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "44 2 48 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 4 37 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (around)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around."
      ],
      "id": "en-fool_around-en-verb-~1Dj-D-R",
      "links": [
        [
          "engage",
          "engage"
        ],
        [
          "frivolous",
          "frivolous"
        ],
        [
          "behaviour",
          "behaviour"
        ],
        [
          "monkey around",
          "monkey around"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, idiomatic) To engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "guǐhùn",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "鬼混"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "hsn",
          "lang": "Xiang Chinese",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "亂它"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "hsn",
          "lang": "Xiang Chinese",
          "roman": "lonn⁵ do²",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "乱它"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "hsn",
          "lang": "Xiang Chinese",
          "roman": "lonn⁵ do²",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "希望"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "tosse rundt"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "hölmöillä"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "faire l’imbécile"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "flâner"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "herumalbern"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "fuzakeru",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "ふざける"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "dēsipiō"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "whakarunaruna"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "porohīanga"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "wygłupiać się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "molestar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "encher o saco"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "valjátʹ duraká",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "валя́ть дурака́"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "70 0 17 14",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "duráčitʹsja",
          "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
          "word": "дура́читься"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "41 0 27 32",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "to behave in a thoughtless or irresponsible way",
          "word": "mākahi"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "To waste time."
      ],
      "id": "en-fool_around-en-verb-ac~Z6-on",
      "links": [
        [
          "waste time",
          "waste time"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To waste time."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "traînailler"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "se la couler douce"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "word": "flâner"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to waste time",
          "tags": [
            "Spain",
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "pelar la pava"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "44 2 48 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 4 37 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (around)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Jake has been fooling around with a married woman.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To engage in casual or flirtatious sexual acts."
      ],
      "id": "en-fool_around-en-verb-ww0oirdU",
      "links": [
        [
          "casual",
          "casual"
        ],
        [
          "flirtatious",
          "flirtatious"
        ],
        [
          "sexual",
          "sexual"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, informal, idiomatic) To engage in casual or flirtatious sexual acts."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "43 4 37 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs with particle (around)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 0 20 68",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Sex",
          "orig": "en:Sex",
          "parents": [
            "All topics",
            "Reproduction",
            "Fundamental",
            "Life",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To engage in adultery; to play around."
      ],
      "id": "en-fool_around-en-verb-VTxDnqQ1",
      "links": [
        [
          "adultery",
          "adultery"
        ],
        [
          "play around",
          "play around"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, informal) To engage in adultery; to play around."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-fool around.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/dd/En-au-fool_around.ogg/En-au-fool_around.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/En-au-fool_around.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-fool around.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fool_around.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fool_around.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fool_around.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fool_around.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fool around"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs with particle (around)",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs",
    "en:Sex"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "fools around",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fooling around",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fooled around",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "fooled around",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "fool around (third-person singular simple present fools around, present participle fooling around, simple past and past participle fooled around)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "engage",
          "engage"
        ],
        [
          "frivolous",
          "frivolous"
        ],
        [
          "behaviour",
          "behaviour"
        ],
        [
          "monkey around",
          "monkey around"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, idiomatic) To engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To waste time."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "waste time",
          "waste time"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To waste time."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English informal terms",
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Jake has been fooling around with a married woman.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To engage in casual or flirtatious sexual acts."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "casual",
          "casual"
        ],
        [
          "flirtatious",
          "flirtatious"
        ],
        [
          "sexual",
          "sexual"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, informal, idiomatic) To engage in casual or flirtatious sexual acts."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic",
        "informal",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms",
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To engage in adultery; to play around."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "adultery",
          "adultery"
        ],
        [
          "play around",
          "play around"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, informal) To engage in adultery; to play around."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal",
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-fool around.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/dd/En-au-fool_around.ogg/En-au-fool_around.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dd/En-au-fool_around.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-fool around.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fool_around.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fool_around.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/e8/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fool_around.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-fool_around.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Southern-England"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (Southern England)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "guǐhùn",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "鬼混"
    },
    {
      "code": "hsn",
      "lang": "Xiang Chinese",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "亂它"
    },
    {
      "code": "hsn",
      "lang": "Xiang Chinese",
      "roman": "lonn⁵ do²",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "乱它"
    },
    {
      "code": "hsn",
      "lang": "Xiang Chinese",
      "roman": "lonn⁵ do²",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "希望"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "tosse rundt"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "hölmöillä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "faire l’imbécile"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "flâner"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "herumalbern"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "fuzakeru",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "ふざける"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "dēsipiō"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "whakarunaruna"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "porohīanga"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "wygłupiać się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "molestar"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "encher o saco"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "valjátʹ duraká",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "валя́ть дурака́"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "duráčitʹsja",
      "sense": "to engage in frivolous behaviour; to monkey around (idiomatic)",
      "word": "дура́читься"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "to behave in a thoughtless or irresponsible way",
      "word": "mākahi"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "traînailler"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "se la couler douce"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "word": "flâner"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to waste time",
      "tags": [
        "Spain",
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "pelar la pava"
    }
  ],
  "word": "fool around"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). 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.

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