fool around with

phrasal-verb
UK: /fuːl əˈraʊnd wɪð/
US: /fuːl əˈraʊnd wɪθ/

  1. To spend time playing or doing things that are not useful or serious with something.

    1. Don't fool around with the cooker, you might break it.
    2. The children should not fool around with dangerous chemicals in the laboratory, even under supervision.

  2. To treat someone or something without the respect or seriousness that they deserve.

    1. I don't like people who fool around with my feelings.
    2. The government must not fool around with environmental regulations if we hope to preserve our planet.

  3. To have a sexual relationship with someone, especially when you should not.

    1. He's been accused of fooling around with a coworker.
    2. She found out her husband had been fooling around with someone he met at the gym, which caused a lot of problems.

Synonyms

mess with tamper with fiddle with

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "fool around with" in English means: To spend time playing or doing things that are not useful or serious with something., To treat someone or something without the respect or seriousness that they deserve., To have a sexual relationship with someone, especially when you should not..

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

Synonyms for "fool around with": mess with, tamper with, fiddle with.

Example usage of "fool around with": "Don't fool around with the cooker, you might break it.". More examples on the page.