around

adverb
UK: /əˈraʊnd/
US: /əˈraʊnd/

  1. In a circle or curve; surrounding something.

    1. We sat around the table to eat dinner together. [ ] [ ]
    2. A crowd gathered around the speaker, eager to hear the announcement. [ ] [ ]

  2. In the general area; nearby or close by.

    1. Is there a gas station around here? [ ] [ ]
    2. I'm sure I left my keys around somewhere in the house, but where? [ ] [ ]

  3. Approximately or about a certain time or number.

    1. It happened around three o'clock in the afternoon. [ ] [ ]
    2. There were around fifty people at the meeting, give or take a few. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

about near nearby approximately
around preposition

  1. Located at the outside edge of; encircling.

    1. We walked around the lake after lunch. [ ] [ ]
    2. The guard patrolled around the perimeter of the building all night. [ ] [ ]

  2. In or to various parts of; from place to place in.

    1. We traveled around Europe last summer on vacation. [ ] [ ]
    2. The news spread quickly around the world thanks to social media. [ ] [ ]

  3. To avoid or bypass something.

    1. We drove around the traffic jam to save time. [ ] [ ]
    2. The politician skillfully danced around the difficult question from the reporter. [ ] [ ]
around adjective

  1. Present or available in a particular place.

    1. Is anyone around who can help me? [ ] [ ]
    2. I'm glad to have my family around during the holidays for support. [ ] [ ]
around phrasal-verb

  1. To change one's opinion or attitude.

    1. He will come around to our way of thinking eventually. [ ] [ ]
    2. After some persuasion, she came around and agreed to join us around for dinner. [ ] [ ]

  2. To recover consciousness or health.

    1. She fainted, but she came around after a few minutes. [ ] [ ]
    2. It took a while, but eventually he came around after being sick. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "around" in English means: In a circle or curve; surrounding something., In the general area; nearby or close by., Approximately or about a certain time or number..

The phonetic transcription of "around" is /əˈraʊnd/ in British English and /əˈraʊnd/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "around": about, near, nearby, approximately.

Example usage of "around": "We sat around the table to eat dinner together.". More examples on the page.