gad (about) 1 of 3

verb

Definition of gad (about)next
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

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gadabout

2 of 3

noun

ˈga-də-ˌbau̇t How to pronounce gadabout (audio)
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

gadabout

3 of 3

adjective

as in peripatetic

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gad (about)
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 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)
  1. roam
  2. nomad
  3. peripatetic
  4. wander
  5. wanderer
  6. ambulatory
  7. drift
  8. traveler
Verb
  • Fair Oaks’ famous chickens roam the property, pecking up shreds of lettuce that inevitably fall from the sandwiches.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026
  • Try to put your kid in the window seat with you on the aisle so the little darling can’t escape and roam the plane without you.
    — Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 15 July 2026
Definition of roam
Noun
  • View gallery - 7 images With its substantial size and lack of wheels or trailer, the Evergreen XL isn't a good fit for would-be nomads.
    — Adam Williams July 12, New Atlas, 13 July 2026
  • The titular nomad needed, perhaps, an actor with a little more mischief and roguishness to sell his transformation from conman to folk hero (Harrison Ford, 55 at the time, may have been a good alternative).
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 3 July 2026
Definition of nomad
Adjective
  • The acclaimed author of The Invention of Nature, Andrea Wulf brings erudition and flair to Forster’s peripatetic career as teenaged crewman on Captain Cook’s global voyage.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
  • Modern audiences might know the story of Odysseus’s peripatetic journey home to Ithaca from any of its many film versions.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 July 2026
Definition of peripatetic
Verb
  • The Argentine black and white tegu, a South American native that can grow to nearly five feet long, has been seen wandering in Altamonte Springs and Geneva as well as further east near Cocoa and Melbourne, according to iNaturalist posts and FWC.
    — Rylan DiGiacomo-Rapp, The Orlando Sentinel, 13 July 2026
  • But on a shady patch under a sprawling river birch, ten teens who had wandered over from Stuyvesant High School assemble themselves into breakout groups to discuss Zohran Mamdani’s recently released housing proposal.
    — Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 13 July 2026
Definition of wander
Noun
  • For the wanderers Saint-Tropez rewards the curious as much as the party crowd—and the best way to explore is entirely on your own terms.
    — Karli Poliziani, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 July 2026
  • Weston loved to ‘embed himself in different cultures’ Weston’s mother, Nancy Higginbotham, described him as an ardent protector of the environment and a wanderer who loved to travel and enjoy nature.
    — Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 6 June 2026
Definition of wanderer
Adjective
  • Kaiser Permanente’s proposal to build a four-story medical office building and expand its ambulatory surgery facility was approved last month.
    — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
  • Evernorth operates the large pharmacy benefit management company Express Scripts and Accredo specialty pharmacy, which includes home delivery of complex medical conditions and has nurses who do in home and ambulatory infusion services.
    — Bruce Japsen, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of ambulatory
Verb
  • Microsoft tied itself tightly to OpenAI through a series of investments, but the two companies drifted and became competing with each other after the abrupt 2023 ousting and reinstatement of OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, with little notice to Nadella.
    — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • On warm Carolina nights in Steele Creek, string lights glow overhead and oldies drift through the speakers.
    — Tristan Graziano, Charlotte Observer, 16 July 2026
Definition of drift
Noun
  • Its next chapter should be measured not only by how many travelers arrive, but by how many families from the region are able to participate in what tourism creates.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Yet according to Ethan Lin, Klook’s cofounder and CEO, Western travelers account for a growing share of users.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 15 July 2026
Definition of traveler

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Cite this Entry

“Gad (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gad%20%28about%29. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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