"go about" meaning in English

See go about in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: goes about [present, singular, third-person], going about [participle, present], went about [past], gone about [participle, past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|go<goes,,went,gone> about}} go about (third-person singular simple present goes about, present participle going about, simple past went about, past participle gone about)
  1. (transitive) To busy oneself with. Tags: transitive
    Sense id: en-go_about-en-verb-cxu6KnmB
  2. (intransitive) To tackle (a problem or task). Tags: intransitive Translations (to tackle): aanpakken (Dutch), anpacken (German), abordar (Spanish), encarar (Spanish), gå till väga (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-go_about-en-verb-ilLujlkG Disambiguation of 'to tackle': 0 100 0 0
  3. (intransitive) To circulate (in). Tags: intransitive Synonyms (to roam, wander, circulate): shrithe Translations (to circulate (in)): rondgaan (Dutch), rondlopen (Dutch), de ronde doen (Dutch), циркули́ровать (cirkulírovatʹ) [neuter] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-go_about-en-verb-8Tebqcep Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "about", Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 7 46 43 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "about": 7 7 42 44 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 7 7 55 30 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 5 6 46 43 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 4 45 47 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 10 9 39 41 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 9 7 41 43 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 7 6 42 44 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 6 6 43 45 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 8 8 38 47 Disambiguation of 'to roam, wander, circulate': 5 10 73 12 Disambiguation of 'to circulate (in)': 1 1 97 1
  4. (intransitive, of a sailing ship) To change from one tack to another. See :Wikipedia:Tack (maneuver). Tags: intransitive Translations (to change from one tack to another): פָּקַם (pakām) [masculine] (Hebrew)
    Sense id: en-go_about-en-verb-k2qjcUAn Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English phrasal verbs formed with "about", Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hebrew translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 4 7 46 43 Disambiguation of English phrasal verbs formed with "about": 7 7 42 44 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 5 6 46 43 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 4 45 47 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 10 9 39 41 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 9 7 41 43 Disambiguation of Terms with Hebrew translations: 8 8 37 47 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 7 6 42 44 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 6 6 43 45 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 8 8 38 47 Disambiguation of 'to change from one tack to another': 0 0 1 99

Inflected forms

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "goes about",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "going about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "went about",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gone about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "go<goes,,went,gone> about"
      },
      "expansion": "go about (third-person singular simple present goes about, present participle going about, simple past went about, past participle gone about)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "December 7 2022, Simon Shuster, “2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky”, in Time:",
          "text": "The workers went about their business as Zelensky looked around. One man at the wheel of a forklift seemed annoyed when the presidential entourage got in his way, and the machine beeped loudly as we tried to maneuver around him.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To busy oneself with."
      ],
      "id": "en-go_about-en-verb-cxu6KnmB",
      "links": [
        [
          "busy",
          "busy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To busy oneself with."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:",
          "text": "A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but I will go about with him.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To tackle (a problem or task)."
      ],
      "id": "en-go_about-en-verb-ilLujlkG",
      "links": [
        [
          "tackle",
          "tackle"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To tackle (a problem or task)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to tackle",
          "word": "aanpakken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to tackle",
          "word": "anpacken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to tackle",
          "word": "abordar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to tackle",
          "word": "encarar"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 100 0 0",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to tackle",
          "word": "gå till väga"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "4 7 46 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 7 42 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"about\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 7 55 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 6 46 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 4 45 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 9 39 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 7 41 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 6 42 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 6 43 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 8 38 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To circulate (in)."
      ],
      "id": "en-go_about-en-verb-8Tebqcep",
      "links": [
        [
          "circulate",
          "circulate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To circulate (in)."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "5 10 73 12",
          "sense": "to roam, wander, circulate",
          "word": "shrithe"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 97 1",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to circulate (in)",
          "word": "rondgaan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 97 1",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to circulate (in)",
          "word": "rondlopen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 97 1",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "to circulate (in)",
          "word": "de ronde doen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 1 97 1",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "cirkulírovatʹ",
          "sense": "to circulate (in)",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "циркули́ровать"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "4 7 46 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 7 42 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English phrasal verbs formed with \"about\"",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 6 46 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 4 45 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 9 39 41",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 7 41 43",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 8 37 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hebrew translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 6 42 44",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 6 43 45",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 8 38 47",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Swedish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 112:",
          "text": "[I]t was commonly said that two masts, a bowsprit and a swivel gun would have transformed our dwelling into a line-of-battle ship; indeed, so seaman-like was our architect, that we feared when once we had taken possession of our new house, we might be disturbed during the night by an order being given to \"go about,\" and by hearing in the quiet hours of the morning the familiar inquiry of \"How's her head?\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To change from one tack to another. See :Wikipedia:Tack (maneuver)."
      ],
      "id": "en-go_about-en-verb-k2qjcUAn",
      "links": [
        [
          "sailing",
          "sailing"
        ],
        [
          "ship",
          "ship"
        ],
        [
          "tack",
          "tack"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, of a sailing ship) To change from one tack to another. See :Wikipedia:Tack (maneuver)."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a sailing ship"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 1 99",
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "roman": "pakām",
          "sense": "to change from one tack to another",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "פָּקַם"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "go about"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English phrasal verbs",
    "English phrasal verbs formed with \"about\"",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hebrew translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Swedish translations"
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "goes about",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "going about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "went about",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "gone about",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "go<goes,,went,gone> about"
      },
      "expansion": "go about (third-person singular simple present goes about, present participle going about, simple past went about, past participle gone about)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "December 7 2022, Simon Shuster, “2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky”, in Time:",
          "text": "The workers went about their business as Zelensky looked around. One man at the wheel of a forklift seemed annoyed when the presidential entourage got in his way, and the machine beeped loudly as we tried to maneuver around him.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To busy oneself with."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "busy",
          "busy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(transitive) To busy oneself with."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:",
          "text": "A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you; but I will go about with him.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To tackle (a problem or task)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tackle",
          "tackle"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To tackle (a problem or task)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To circulate (in)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "circulate",
          "circulate"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To circulate (in)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 112:",
          "text": "[I]t was commonly said that two masts, a bowsprit and a swivel gun would have transformed our dwelling into a line-of-battle ship; indeed, so seaman-like was our architect, that we feared when once we had taken possession of our new house, we might be disturbed during the night by an order being given to \"go about,\" and by hearing in the quiet hours of the morning the familiar inquiry of \"How's her head?\"",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To change from one tack to another. See :Wikipedia:Tack (maneuver)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "sailing",
          "sailing"
        ],
        [
          "ship",
          "ship"
        ],
        [
          "tack",
          "tack"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive, of a sailing ship) To change from one tack to another. See :Wikipedia:Tack (maneuver)."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a sailing ship"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "to roam, wander, circulate",
      "word": "shrithe"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to tackle",
      "word": "aanpakken"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to tackle",
      "word": "anpacken"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to tackle",
      "word": "abordar"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to tackle",
      "word": "encarar"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to tackle",
      "word": "gå till väga"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to circulate (in)",
      "word": "rondgaan"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to circulate (in)",
      "word": "rondlopen"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "to circulate (in)",
      "word": "de ronde doen"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "cirkulírovatʹ",
      "sense": "to circulate (in)",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "циркули́ровать"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "roman": "pakām",
      "sense": "to change from one tack to another",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "פָּקַם"
    }
  ],
  "word": "go about"
}

Download raw JSONL data for go about meaning in English (4.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). 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.