about
a
ə
ē
bout
ˈbaʊt
bawt
/əˈbaʊt/

āχāĻ‚āϰ⧇āϜāĻŋāϤ⧇ "about"āĻāϰ āϏāĻ‚āĻœā§āĻžāĻž āĻ“ āĻ…āĻ°ā§āĻĨ

01

āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇, āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ⧇

used to express the matters that relate to a specific person or thing
about definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She gave a presentation about her research in marine biology.
āϏ⧇ āϏāĻžāĻŽā§āĻĻā§āϰāĻŋāĻ• āĻœā§€āĻŦāĻŦāĻŋāĻĻā§āϝāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ—āĻŦ⧇āώāĻŖāĻž āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āωāĻĒāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻžāĻĒāύāĻž āĻĻāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇āĨ¤
02

āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇, āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ⧇

used to indicate the fundamental focus, concern, or purpose of something
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
For him, life is about pursuing happiness and personal growth.
āϤāĻžāϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝ, āĻœā§€āĻŦāύ āϏ⧁āĻ– āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻŦā§āϝāĻ•ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ—āϤ āĻŦ⧃āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻ…āύ⧁āϏāϰāĻŖ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇āĨ¤
03

āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇, āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ⧇

used to describe a characteristic, quality, or nature of a person or thing
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
I ca n't explain it, but there 's something off about this situation.
āφāĻŽāĻŋ āĻāϟāĻŋ āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻ–ā§āϝāĻž āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ āύāĻž, āĻ•āĻŋāĻ¨ā§āϤ⧁ āĻāχ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻ¸ā§āĻĨāĻŋāϤāĻŋ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āĻ•āĻŋāϛ⧁āϟāĻž āĻ…āĻ¸ā§āĻŦāĻ¸ā§āϤāĻŋāĻ•āϰ āφāϛ⧇āĨ¤
04

āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇, āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ⧇

used to show the reason for someone's feelings, actions, or opinions
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She ’s excited about the trip.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻ­ā§āϰāĻŽāĻŖ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āωāĻ¤ā§āϤ⧇āϜāĻŋāϤ.
05

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ

used to indicate a general sense of movement without specifying a precise path or direction
Dialectbritish flagBritish
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The birds were flying about the park.
āĻĒāĻžāĻ–āĻŋāϰāĻž āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇āϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āωāĻĄāĻŧāĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
06

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ

used to express the presence or location of something in various parts of a particular area
Dialectbritish flagBritish
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
Toys were scattered about the nursery after the children finished playing.
āĻŦāĻžāĻšā§āϚāĻžāϰāĻž āϖ⧇āϞāĻž āĻļ⧇āώ āĻ•āϰāĻžāϰ āĻĒāϰ āϖ⧇āϞāύāĻž āύāĻžāĻ°ā§āϏāĻžāϰāĻŋāϤ⧇ āϏāĻ°ā§āĻŦāĻ¤ā§āϰ āĻ›āĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
07

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ•āĻžāϛ⧇

used to refers to something being near a specific place or location
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
There are many beautiful flowers growing about the hillside.
āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžāĻĄāĻŧ⧇āϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āϏ⧁āĻ¨ā§āĻĻāϰ āĻĢ⧁āϞ āĻĢ⧁āϟāϛ⧇āĨ¤
08

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇

used to mean that a person or thing is surrounding or encircling something or someone on every side
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She wrapped her scarf about her neck to keep warm.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻ—āϰāĻŽ āϰāĻžāĻ–āϤ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ¸ā§āĻ•āĻžāĻ°ā§āĻĢāϟāĻŋ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ—āϞāĻžāϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āϜāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
09

āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇, āĻŦāĻŋāώāϝāĻŧ⧇

used to indicate that someone or something is doing or dealing with something
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She spent the day going about her chores, trying to stay productive.
āϏ⧇ āϤāĻžāϰ āĻ•āĻžāϜ āύāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĻāĻŋāύ āĻ•āĻžāϟāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇āϛ⧇, āĻ‰ā§ŽāĻĒāĻžāĻĻāύāĻļā§€āϞ āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϰ āĻšā§‡āĻˇā§āϟāĻž āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āĨ¤
01

āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ, āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ

used with a number to show that it is not exact
about definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
It 'll take about 30 minutes to get there by car.
āĻ—āĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϤ⧇ āĻ•āϰ⧇ āϏ⧇āĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āĻĒ⧌āρāĻ›āϤ⧇ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ 30 āĻŽāĻŋāύāĻŋāϟ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āϞāĻžāĻ—āĻŦ⧇āĨ¤
02

āĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻžāĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻŋ, āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āĻļā§āĻŦ⧇

in the nearby area
about definition and meaning
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She gestured to the crowd standing about, inviting them to join the discussion.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻĻāĻžāρāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āĻž āĻ­āĻŋāĻĄāĻŧ⧇āϰ āĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇ āχāĻļāĻžāϰāĻž āĻ•āϰāϞ⧇āύ, āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āφāϞ⧋āϚāύāĻžāϝāĻŧ āϝ⧋āĻ— āĻĻāĻŋāϤ⧇ āφāĻŽāĻ¨ā§āĻ¤ā§āϰāĻŖ āϜāĻžāύāĻžāϞ⧇āύāĨ¤
03

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻžāĻ•āĻžāĻ›āĻŋ

used to express the presence or existence of something in a general area or location
Dialectbritish flagBritish
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
With springtime about, allergies have been affecting many people in the town.
āĻŦāϏāĻ¨ā§āϤ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āĻĨāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϝāĻŧ, āĻ…ā§āϝāĻžāϞāĻžāĻ°ā§āϜāĻŋ āĻļāĻšāϰ⧇āϰ āĻ…āύ⧇āĻ• āĻŽāĻžāύ⧁āώāϕ⧇ āĻĒā§āϰāĻ­āĻžāĻŦāĻŋāϤ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āĨ¤
04

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻāĻĻāĻŋāĻ• āĻ“āĻĻāĻŋāĻ•

used to refer to movement in different directions within an area or space
Dialectbritish flagBritish
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He wandered about the house, unsure of what to do next.
āϤāĻŋāύāĻŋ āĻŦāĻžāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇ āϘ⧁āϰ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āĻĄāĻŧāĻžāϞ⧇āύ, āĻĒāϰāĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤ⧀āϤ⧇ āϕ⧀ āĻ•āϰāϤ⧇ āĻšāĻŦ⧇ āϤāĻž āύāĻŋāĻļā§āϚāĻŋāϤ āύāύāĨ¤
05

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻŦāĻŋāĻĒāϰ⧀āϤ āĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇

used to indicate a movement or position in the opposite direction
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
He quickly faced about when he realized he was heading the wrong way.
āϝāĻ–āύ āϏ⧇ āĻŦ⧁āĻāϤ⧇ āĻĒāĻžāϰāϞ āϝ⧇ āϏ⧇ āϭ⧁āϞ āĻĒāĻĨ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻšā§āϛ⧇, āϤāĻ–āύ āϏ⧇ āĻĻā§āϰ⧁āϤ āĻĢāĻŋāϰ⧇ āϗ⧇āϞāĨ¤
06

āϚāĻžāϰāĻŋāĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇, āĻŦ⧃āĻ¤ā§āϤāĻžāĻ•āĻžāϰ⧇

used to indicate movement in rotation or in a circular pattern
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The planets revolve about the sun in their orbits.
āĻ—ā§āϰāĻšāϗ⧁āϞāĻŋ āϤāĻžāĻĻ⧇āϰ āĻ•āĻ•ā§āώāĻĒāĻĨ⧇ āϏ⧂āĻ°ā§āϝ⧇āϰ āϚāĻžāϰāĻĻāĻŋāϕ⧇ āĻ˜ā§‹āϰ⧇āĨ¤
07

āϚāĻžāϰāĻĒāĻžāĻļ⧇, āĻāĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āϏ⧇āĻ–āĻžāύ⧇

used to express being in a place without a specific purpose, often doing nothing in particular
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
People were standing about in the park, chatting and relaxing.
āϞ⧋āϕ⧇āϰāĻž āĻĒāĻžāĻ°ā§āϕ⧇ āĻāĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āϏ⧇āĻ–āĻžāύ⧇ āĻĻāĻžāρāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻ›āĻŋāϞ, āĻ—āĻ˛ā§āĻĒ āĻ•āϰāĻ›āĻŋāϞ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āϰāĻžāĻŽ āύāĻŋāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
08

āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ, āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻļāχ

used to indicate that something is nearly or almost complete or at a particular state
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
After a long hike, we were about starved by the time we reached the cabin.
āĻāĻ•āϟāĻŋ āĻĻā§€āĻ°ā§āϘ āĻšāĻžāχāĻ•āĻŋāĻ‚āϝāĻŧ⧇āϰ āĻĒāϰ⧇, āφāĻŽāϰāĻž āϕ⧇āĻŦāĻŋāύ⧇ āĻĒ⧌āρāĻ›āĻžāύ⧋āϰ āϏāĻŽāϝāĻŧ āĻĒā§āϰāĻžāϝāĻŧ āĻ•ā§āώ⧁āϧāĻžāĻ°ā§āϤ āĻšāϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĒāĻĄāĻŧ⧇āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĻžāĻŽāĨ¤
01

āϚāϞāĻžāĻĢ⧇āϰāĻž āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇, āϏāĻ•ā§āϰāĻŋāϝāĻŧ

moving or being active from place to place, especially after a period of inactivity
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
She has been out and about running errands all morning.
āϏ⧇ āϏāĻ•āĻžāϞ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āĻŦāĻžāχāϰ⧇ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āĻ˜ā§‹āϰāĻžāϘ⧁āϰāĻŋ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇ āĻ•āĻžāĻœā§‡āϰ āϜāĻ¨ā§āϝāĨ¤
1.1

āĻĻāĻžāρāĻĄāĻŧāĻŋāϝāĻŧ⧇, āĻ˜ā§‹āϰāĻžāĻĢ⧇āϰāĻž āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇

out of bed and moving around
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The patient was feeling better and was about, moving from room to room in the hospital.
āϰ⧋āĻ—ā§€āϟāĻŋ āĻ­āĻžāϞ āĻŦā§‹āϧ āĻ•āϰāĻ›āĻŋāϞ āĻāĻŦāĻ‚ āϘ⧁āϰ⧇ āĻŦ⧇āĻĄāĻŧāĻžāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāϞ, āĻšāĻžāϏāĻĒāĻžāϤāĻžāϞ⧇āϰ āĻāĻ• āĻ•āĻ•ā§āώ āĻĨ⧇āϕ⧇ āĻ…āĻ¨ā§āϝ āĻ•āĻ•ā§āώ⧇ āϝāĻžāĻšā§āĻ›āĻŋāϞāĨ¤
02

āωāĻĒāϞāĻŦā§āϧ, āĻŦāĻ°ā§āϤāĻŽāĻžāύ

currently in existence, present, or circulating
āωāĻĻāĻžāĻšāϰāĻŖ
The most talented musicians about today are redefining the industry.
āφāϜāϕ⧇āϰ āϏāĻŦāĻšā§‡āϝāĻŧ⧇ āĻĒā§āϰāϤāĻŋāĻ­āĻžāĻŦāĻžāύ āϏāĻ™ā§āĻ—ā§€āϤāĻļāĻŋāĻ˛ā§āĻĒā§€āϰāĻž āĻļāĻŋāĻ˛ā§āĻĒāϕ⧇ āύāϤ⧁āύāĻ­āĻžāĻŦ⧇ āϏāĻ‚āĻœā§āĻžāĻžāϝāĻŧāĻŋāϤ āĻ•āϰāϛ⧇āύāĨ¤
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āĻ…ā§āϝāĻžāĻĒ āĻĄāĻžāωāύāϞ⧋āĻĄ āĻ•āϰ⧁āύ