about

1 on all sides or in every direction <people standing about waiting for a salesclerk to assist them> Synonyms around, roundRelated Words all over, everyplace, everywhere; abroad, afloat, hereabouts (or hereabout)

2 toward the opposite direction <turned about and saw the dog following him> Synonyms around, back, backward (or backwards), roundRelated Words behind, down, downward (or downwards), rearward (also rearwards); obversely, reversely; across, athwart, counter, counterclockwise, widdershins (also withershins)Near Antonyms clockwise, deasil

3 very close to but not completely <about as many women as men signed up for the course in auto repair> Synonyms almost, all but, borderline, fair [chiefly British], fairly, feckly [chiefly Scottish], more or less, most, much, near, nearly, next to, nigh, practically, somewhere, virtually, well-nighRelated Words appreciably, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly; kind of, partially, partly, somewhatNear Antonyms absolutely, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, plain, plumb [chiefly dialect], quite, thoroughly; totally, utterly, well, wholly; barely, hardly, scarcely

4 close to but not exactly <it's about a mile to the nearest gas station> Synonyms approximately, around, like, more or less, much, near, plus or minus, roughly, say, someRelated Words generally, kind of, loosely; nearly, nominally, practically, virtually, well-nighNear Antonyms due, even, just, sharp, smack-dab, squarelyAntonyms exactly, precisely

5 in one place and another <his garage was a dirty, cluttered place with various tools and engine parts just lying about> Synonyms here and there, around, passimRelated Words all over, everyplace, everywhere, far and wide, high and low, right and left, throughout, ubiquitouslyNear Antonyms nowhere