Synonyms for fool around

Grammar : Verb

Spell : fool

Phonetic Transcription : ful

Définition of fool around

Origin : late 13c., "silly or stupid person," from Old French fol "madman, insane person; idiot; rogue; jester," also "blacksmith's bellows," also an adjective meaning "mad, insane" (12c., Modern French fou), from Latin follis "bellows, leather bag" (see follicle); in Vulgar Latin used with a sense of "windbag, empty-headed person." Cf. also Sanskrit vatula- "insane," literally "windy, inflated with wind."
The word has in mod.Eng. a much stronger sense than it had at an earlier period; it has now an implication of insulting contempt which does not in the same degree belong to any of its synonyms, or to the derivative foolish. [OED]
Meaning "jester, court clown" first attested late 14c., though it is not always possible to tell whether the reference is to a professional entertainer or an amusing lunatic on the payroll. As the name of a kind of custard dish, it is attested from 1590s (the food also was called trifle, which may be the source of the name).
There is no foole to the olde foole [Heywood, 1546]
Feast of Fools (early 14c.), from Medieval Latin festum stultorum) refers to the burlesque festival celebrated in some churches on New Year's Day in medieval times. Fool's gold "iron pyrite" is from 1829. Fool's paradise "state of illusory happiness" is from mid-15c. Foolosopher, a most useful insult, turns up in a 1549 translation of Erasmus. Fool's ballocks is described in OED as "an old name" for the green-winged orchid.

verb waste time

Example sentences :

Oh, he may fool around with the women in the shop, but it doesn't lead to anything.
Extract from : « L'Assommoir » by Emile Zola

Hay, that stuff's not goin to stop growin while you fool around.
Extract from : « Greener Than You Think » by Ward Moore

And don't you fool around any, because he'll want to know the news.
Extract from : « Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Complete » by Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

It's only a blasted gay-cat that'll fool around this country now.
Extract from : « Tramping with Tramps » by Josiah Flynt

If you don't believe it, just fool around town for a while and talk with some of the gang.
Extract from : « In Pastures Green » by Peter McArthur

"It is too late to fool around with spies now," Darius said sharply.
Extract from : « Commodore Barney's Young Spies » by James Otis

Might as well do it now, instead of having to fool around with it later.
Extract from : « Double Take » by Richard Wilson

If I stay here I'll have to fool around with a hobby the rest of my life.
Extract from : « The Genius » by Con Pederson

I'll take him over to Nassau, and you can fool around for the next month or so.
Extract from : « Pieces of Eight » by Richard le Gallienne

I've killed two Yankees this mornin', an' I'm not in the humor to fool around with an old pennyroyal huzzy like yo'.
Extract from : « Si Klegg, Book 3 (of 6) » by John McElroy

Antonyms for fool around

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019