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
-
Visitors can see the festival's namesake ostriches up close in a viewing area where the birds can roam around.—
Tiffany Acosta,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Yet, these sleek, wild, predator cats roam the foothills and mountains from Ventura to San Diego, slipping in and out of millions of backyards and dozens of local canyons mostly unseen, except for those fuzzy images captured by trail cameras and home surveillance videos.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
However, the wheels are just intended for minor on-site movements, not for towing on a public road, so this isn't a good choice for would-be nomads.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Best Hotels & Resorts Nomad Hotel Dieter Roelen and Monica Mascaros, the husband-and-wife duo behind Nomad Hotel, spent 20 years living like nomads and traveling around the world.—
Liz Provencher,
Travel + Leisure,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The peripatetic singer-songwriter’s eponymous third album is a document of wandering and longing.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Ghirelli, 45, has had a peripatetic career.—
Giacomo Tognini,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Her third album, which is self-titled, is a document of wandering.—
Marissa Lorusso,
Pitchfork,
26 Jan. 2026
-
This meant that the MQ-20 could fly aggressively without the danger of wandering into restricted civilian airspace or high-threat corridors.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Then in June 2024, that larger limit was revoked for all airports and the 100ml rule reintroduced, to the fury of many airports and travelers.—
Duncan Madden,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Uzbekistan’s announcement comes at a time when the Central Asian country, best known for its ancient Islamic architecture and cornerstone role in the Silk Road, is seeing a boom in US travelers.—
Brittany Chang,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The property management company is currently surveying residents and providing hotel rooms for those who are not ambulatory.—
Ashley Sharp,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
An ambulatory confection of racist stereotypes, Fu-Manchu appeared in a series of pulp novels and films in the first half of the twentieth century.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a cast of wanderers, visionaries, and itinerants, the self-educated and self-published, a long lineage of cranks and outcasts, mostly penurious, always opinionated, stretching away into the mists of pseudohistory.—
Hari Kunzru,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
This Victorian town of just over 2,000 is a diverse blend of artists, spiritual seekers, motorcyclists, weekend wanderers, and retirees.—
Symiah Dorsey,
Southern Living,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Astronomers have detected simple organic molecules drifting through interstellar clouds and preserved in meteorites and comets, indicating that biologically important compounds can form in space and be delivered to planetary surfaces.—
Victoria Corless,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Roadways are hazardous due to accumulated, blowing and drifting snow and roads may be icy.—
David Ferrara,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gad (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gad%20%28about%29. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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