aboutpreposition
uk/əˈbaʊt/us/əˈbaʊt/about preposition (CONNECTED WITH)
A1 on the subject of, or connected with:
More examples
- He is always talking about how clever his children are.
- I wish you'd stop making jokes about my friends.
- Lots of people have complained about the noise.
- The film was about creatures from outer space.
- I was very nervous about driving again after the accident.
- Stop jumping about, Billy, and just stand still for a moment!
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Regarding and concerning
- apropos
- as
- as to idiom
- be/have something to do with sth idiom
- concerned
- concerning
- cover
- in respect of sth idiom
- in the brain/looks department idiom
- into
- range
- re 1
- regard
- regarding
- relate
- relate to sb/sth
- say
- towards
- vis-à-vis
- wise
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about preposition (NO ORDER)
mainly UK US usually around positioned around a place, often without a clear purpose or order:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General location and orientation
- -oriented
- along
- anterior
- around
- back onto sth
- bearing
- direction
- far
- front
- frontal
- hind
- nearside
- offside
- on-site
- orientated
- overleaf
- position
- positional
- round
- spot
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about preposition (POSITION)
UK formal in a particular place:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General location and orientation
- -oriented
- along
- anterior
- around
- back onto sth
- bearing
- direction
- far
- front
- frontal
- hind
- nearside
- offside
- on-site
- orientated
- overleaf
- position
- positional
- round
- spot
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Idiom(s)
aboutadverb
uk/əˈbaʊt/us/əˈbaʊt/about adverb (APPROXIMATELY)
A1 a little more or less than the stated number or amount:
More examples
- The town is about 100 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
- Fry the onion and garlic for about two minutes.
- The average temperature worldwide has risen by about one degree Fahrenheit in the past 100 years.
- "We'll be at your house at about nine o'clock, okay?"
- We sent out the wedding invitations about three weeks ago.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Approximate
- (a) sort of idiom
- -ish
- approx
- approximate
- approximately
- around
- effect
- loosely
- maybe
- more
- more or less idiom
- or so idiom
- round
- rule
- sense
- something
- something like 96 percent, half, etc. idiom
- somewhere
- sort
- sorta
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about adverb (ALMOST)
almost:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Almost
- almost
- as good as idiom
- as much as idiom
- be on the way to sth idiom
- border
- more
- more or less idiom
- much
- near
- near
- nearly
- next
- strike
- sub
- that was close! idiom
- the best/better part of idiom
- to/for all intents and purposes idiom
- up to
- virtual
- way
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about adverb (ALL DIRECTIONS)
B2 mainly UK US usually around in many different directions:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General location and orientation
- -oriented
- along
- anterior
- around
- back onto sth
- bearing
- direction
- far
- front
- frontal
- hind
- nearside
- offside
- on-site
- orientated
- overleaf
- position
- positional
- round
- spot
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about adverb (NO ORDER)
B2 mainly UK US usually around positioned around a place, often without a clear purpose or order:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General location and orientation
- -oriented
- along
- anterior
- around
- back onto sth
- bearing
- direction
- far
- front
- frontal
- hind
- nearside
- offside
- on-site
- orientated
- overleaf
- position
- positional
- round
- spot
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about adverb (PLACE)
mainly UK US usually around in or near a place:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
General location and orientation
- -oriented
- along
- anterior
- around
- back onto sth
- bearing
- direction
- far
- front
- frontal
- hind
- nearside
- offside
- on-site
- orientated
- overleaf
- position
- positional
- round
- spot
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aboutadjective
uk/əˈbaʊt/us/əˈbaʊt/about adjective (INTENDING)
More examples
- He sensed that something was about to happen.
- I was just about to borrow some money from Dad when finally the cheque arrived.
- She looked as though she was about to cry.
- I was about to phone Joe at work when he walked into the house
- The train's about to leave. Hurry up!
B1 to be going to do something very soon:
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
About to happen
- (just) around the corner idiom
- at hand idiom
- be on the point of (doing) sth idiom
- be ready to roll idiom
- beckon
- brew
- come up
- corner
- horizon
- in the air idiom
- in the pipeline idiom
- loom
- looming
- make to do sth idiom
- ready
- store
- teeter
- teeter on the brink/edge of sth idiom
- threshold
- wait in the wings idiom
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