as in to roam
to move about from place to place aimlessly
he gads about town every Saturday, flirting and gossiping with various shopkeepers and locals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in nomad
a person who roams about without a fixed route or destination
she was a thoughtful gadabout, always picking up souvenirs for her friends from wherever her travels took her
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in peripatetic
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of gad (about)
Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
For those of us who won’t be joining in the sybaritic excursion, Matches is bringing the Riviera gadabout vibes to all with capsule collections of women’s, men’s and home products curated by Sciò and Rabensteiner.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 5 May 2022
But a linesman stepped in and prevented the gadabout angler from bringing in the catch.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2021
Hardly the schedule of a social gadabout.
—New York Times, 5 Aug. 2021
The giggling gadabout who dies penniless.
—Cory Oldweiler, Star Tribune, 11 Dec. 2020
Writer, comedian, and social gadabout Lucas Murphy sits down with friends and contemporaries to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle.
—Savannah Eadens, The Courier-Journal, 20 Apr. 2020
So, a solar charging system fits perfectly with your gadabout persona.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 10 Apr. 2020
Simon is so reserved that even his live-in girlfriend (an egregiously underused Olivia Thirlby) has given up on him; Trevor is a kooky gadabout who’d be right at home trading druggy celebrity anecdotes with Oliver Putnam.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Noun
The wild career of David Johansen — New York Dolls frontman, punk gadabout, occasional actor, and Buster Poindexter portrayer — will be the focus of an upcoming documentary co-directed by Martin Scorsese.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2023
For those of us who won’t be joining in the sybaritic excursion, Matches is bringing the Riviera gadabout vibes to all with capsule collections of women’s, men’s and home products curated by Sciò and Rabensteiner.
—Todd Plummer, Robb Report, 5 May 2022
But a linesman stepped in and prevented the gadabout angler from bringing in the catch.
—Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Nov. 2021
Hardly the schedule of a social gadabout.
—New York Times, 5 Aug. 2021
The giggling gadabout who dies penniless.
—Cory Oldweiler, Star Tribune, 11 Dec. 2020
Writer, comedian, and social gadabout Lucas Murphy sits down with friends and contemporaries to solve the New York Times crossword puzzle.
—Savannah Eadens, The Courier-Journal, 20 Apr. 2020
So, a solar charging system fits perfectly with your gadabout persona.
—The Editors, Field & Stream, 10 Apr. 2020
Simon is so reserved that even his live-in girlfriend (an egregiously underused Olivia Thirlby) has given up on him; Trevor is a kooky gadabout who’d be right at home trading druggy celebrity anecdotes with Oliver Putnam.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gad (about)
Verb
-
Families Plenty of children roam the resort in head-to-toe Ralph Lauren—these little guests are as important as the larger ones.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
-
Praearcturus gigas is believed to be the largest scorpion to ever roam the Earth, and was discovered from fossils that have been tucked away in London’s Natural History Museum for more than 150 years.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Case in point is the Koala Bear, which embraces the roots of the small living movement and leans into its strength as a portable home for one or two modern nomads.—
Adam Williams
May 24,
New Atlas,
24 May 2026
-
This system is ideal for the connected nomad, designed for those who need internet access while traveling, camping, using an RV, or in temporary locations.—
Brian Westover,
PC Magazine,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In an untitled work from 1995, a cluster of sturdy wagons sits at the edge of a frozen lake, a site where her family of peripatetic horse traders often camped.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Danish Algerian songwriter’s peripatetic new album pulls up at the bustling crossroads of the electroclash comeback and the contemporary Scandinavian school.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Elephants wander about, stripping leaves.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
For travelers who like to wander through historic neighborhoods, cross bridges, duck into cafés and explore on foot, a new report has the answers.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
Mark my words, Rosewood will make travelers start regarding Phuket as a tasteful destination, to tack on as the beach break during trips to Bangkok or Singapore.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 June 2026
-
Most travelers surveyed said their biggest regrets occurred as young adults.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Patients are now undergoing intricate brain and spine surgeries in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and returning home the same day.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
Growth in the sector came from social assistance, nursing, residential care facilities and ambulatory care services.—
Phillip Molnar,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
Designed to naturally decay over roughly a decade, these statues impress wanderers who seek them out.—
Kristy Tolley,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
-
The cougars that make their way through Minnesota are believed to be lone wanderers from the Dakotas and Nebraska.—
Aki Nace,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Smoke from the front burners has farther to travel, and a lot of it drifts sideways into the kitchen before the hood can catch it.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
3 June 2026
-
Although Nilsson would likely disagree, her work affirms that all of us are drifting toward oblivion, with the best days of our lives like so much confetti in the wind.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gad (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gad%20%28about%29. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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