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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of gadabout
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
Adjective
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gadabout
Verb
-
However, this doesn’t mean that the chimps are roaming around intoxicated.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The bison roaming Yellowstone National Park, an elephant herd thundering across the African terrain in Tanzania or Botswana, a humpback whale breaching off the coast of Hawaii or Mexico.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
These friends, all Amazigh (Berber) nomads, have embarked on a musical voyage to celebrate their roots and share the richness of their heritage with the world.—
Jake Richardson,
Mercury News,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Their sophomore effort is a fantasy following Princess Diana, who falls in love with young nomad Lalo against her father’s wishes.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But before long, this peripatetic entrepreneur will be back at cruising altitude.—
airmail.news,
airmail.news,
5 July 2025
-
The Running Man production was a far more peripatetic affair, as the cast and crew moved from the Scottish city of Glasgow to Wembley Stadium, to Leavesden, and finally to Bulgaria.—
Clark Collis Updated,
EW.com,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
The moment-to-moment action is predicated on wandering the city, picking up little bits of information from people, and diving into Wild Zones to battle and capture more Pokémon.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 Sep. 2025
-
Add in a 160-liter freshwater tank, diesel heat and hot water via Webasto, and the freedom to wander suddenly looks very comfortable.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Jones said it’s grown into a comprehensive health system that includes primary and specialty care at more than 40 medical group locations, urgent care centers, ambulatory surgery and imaging centers, and dialysis clinics across Southern California.—
Jessica Peralta,
Oc Register,
19 Sep. 2025
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What To Know By early 2025, Congress had allocated about $472 million for the Palo Alto hospital project, which includes demolition of old buildings and construction of new ones, such as rehabilitation facilities for complex combat injuries and a new ambulatory care center.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Denver offers a wide variety of activities that cater to all travelers.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
26 Sep. 2025
-
For travelers across the Carolinas and beyond, visiting this season is a powerful way to support local communities in their rebuilding efforts.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At a heavier mass, the magnetic field can't keep up, and the particle starts to drift and slam into the side of the circular chamber.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
23 Sep. 2025
-
Per the Florida Highway Patrol, the 44-year-old woman, who has not been named, was driving a Kia sedan southbound on the highway, and then drifted into the northbound lane.—
David Goodhue,
Miami Herald,
23 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The options were powerful, immortal, stranger or wanderer.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The Transporter Westfalia Camper versions are especially popular, outfitted with any number of clever amenities for weekend wanderers.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gadabout.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gadabout. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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