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
-
Elephants and forest buffalos roam the shores, while the area is renowned for its seasonal leatherback turtle sightings and brilliant bird life.—
Melanie van Zyl,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The news offers a preview of how Starlink Mobile could enable subscribers to roam internationally by using SpaceX’s constellation of orbiting satellites.—
Michael Kan,
PC Magazine,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Another camp speculates that these forebears met human nomads on the trail of big game and started traveling with them, eventually arriving in China via Mongolia through their supporting role as war dogs.—
Andrew Norman Wilson,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Feb. 2026
-
Design devotees, creative professionals, and global nomads who value understatement over flash.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Empower has also advised veteran former Manchester United and Portugal midfielder Nani throughout a career that has included spells in the United States, Australia, Italy, Turkey and a return to his homeland in its peripatetic latter years.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The peripatetic singer-songwriter’s eponymous third album is a document of wandering and longing.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
At the Dallas Zoo’s first Dog Days event, hundreds of pups wandered the grounds with their owners.—
Julia James,
Dallas Morning News,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Shah Alam had been out for a walk and was using a curtain rod as a walking stick when he got lost and wandered onto private property, his son Mohamad Faisal said.—
Hanna Park,
CNN Money,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Once a favorite haunt of music legends, the hotel still sings today, attracting couples, musicians, and business travelers alike.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The Dubai Airports website advises travelers not to proceed to the airport unless they have been contacted directly by their airlines.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yelenda was slightly lethargic, had a right sided head tilt and was non-ambulatory.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Since 2019, the health system has added five hospitals, six ambulatory service centers, eight freestanding emergency rooms, 15 urgent care centers and four imaging centers to its network.—
Lily O'Neill,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Unlike most comets, which originate in the Kuiper Belt or the Oort Cloud, this icy wanderer formed around another star before drifting into our cosmic neighborhood.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Spader plays Graham, an enigmatic wanderer who inserts himself into the lives of his old friend John (Peter Gallagher), his wife Ann (Andie MacDowell) and her sister Cynthia (San Giacomo), drawing out all manner of confessions and revelations.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While both candidates occupied the party’s progressive flank, Talarico presented himself as a Democrat who could speak the language of faith and values to voters who have drifted rightward in recent years.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Breakfast patios overlook rafters drifting by; anglers cast from stone embankments; kayakers practice freestyle moves at the whitewater park in the middle of it all.—
Ted Alvarez,
Outside,
4 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gad (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gad%20%28about%29. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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