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.
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)
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
-
Luke Skywalker will roam Black Spire Outpost seeking knowledge of the Force and kyber crystals that power lightsabers.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Rock iguanas once roamed freely across the islands of Turks and Caicos.—
Madeline Weinfield,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
America used to be a nation of nomads.—
Lew Sichelman,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2026
-
The Wind Traders, for example, are nomads who live in the sky, and their culture and lifestyle are clearly represented in their clothes.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
3 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
-
For something more low-key, wander down to the local beach from the hotel’s beach club, stopping off for a fresh coconut along the way.—
Harriet Compston,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Cherniack said Healey, who was identified for the first time Monday, was known to wander about the premises.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The traveler confessed to extorting others to commit self-harm, the memo said.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Rhode Island tops a new study based on real traveler reviews, beating out Texas, New York, and Washington for romantic charm.—
Kristine Hansen,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The outpatient building will include clinics and an ambulatory surgery center.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Jan. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
These ancient wanderers, like comet 3I/ATLAS, are cosmic time capsules.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
9 Feb. 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
-
Snowflakes drift down like tiny nets, moving slowly and exposing lots of surface area, gathering more pollutants than fast-falling raindrops.—
Isabel Lopez,
Parents,
11 Feb. 2026
-
There will be debates over whether the games have drifted too far from the original Olympian model and whether some, less-popular sports should be discarded in favor of more crowd-pleasing competitions.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gad (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gad%20%28about%29. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
