around
adverb · adjective
Simple meaning
In a circle or circular motion.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
erowndSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɚˈaʊnd
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adverb
In a circle or circular motion
So as to form a circle or trace a circular path, or approximation thereof.
So as to surround or be near.
Nearly; approximately; about.
From place to place.
From one state or condition to an opposite or very different one; with a metaphorical change in direction; bringing about awareness or agreement.
adjective
informalpredicative onlywith the verb "to be"
Present in the vicinity.
informalpredicative onlywith the verb "to be"
Alive; existing.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: In a circle or circular motion
Used this way, around is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Tap the highlighted word to open its own entry.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Without stopping.
Move up and down with no specific path.
Be bossy towards.
Be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information.
Be lazy or idle.
Shock physically.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “around” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.