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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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
-
With far less hair, Ella’s green eyes seemed greener, like those of the feral black cats that roamed their hamlet, meowing for table scraps, which were often given without hesitation.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 June 2026
-
Mesalands Dinosaur Museum in Tucumcari, New Mexico Part of Mesalands Community College in Tucumcari, New Mexico, the Dinosaur Museum and Natural Science Laboratory offers a look at the mighty creatures that once roamed the area during the Mesozoic era.—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
18 June 2026
Noun
-
Who co-living is actually for The stereotype of co-living as a landing pad for laptop-toting nomads no longer holds.—
Hanna Wickes,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
-
The documents included long and complicated legal or technical language in Chinese, some of which was orally translated into Tibetan during the signing, because many nomads who are heads of households and more than 40 years old can’t read either Chinese or Tibetan.—
Sanggay Tashi,
The Conversation,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
In an untitled work from 1995, a cluster of sturdy wagons sits at the edge of a frozen lake, a site where her family of peripatetic horse traders often camped.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Danish Algerian songwriter’s peripatetic new album pulls up at the bustling crossroads of the electroclash comeback and the contemporary Scandinavian school.—
Walden Green,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lightweight, packable flats are an underrated cruise wardrobe MVP, and these Skechers Bobs slip on in a second for everything from casual deck days to wandering the promenade after dinner.—
Robin Raven,
Travel + Leisure,
22 June 2026
-
But people who spend time around livestock — including kids who visit relatives’ ranches, ride at lesson barns or wander the Stockyards on a weekend — should know what an infestation looks like and report anything unusual to a veterinarian.—
Ciara McCarthy. Produced with AI assistance,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 June 2026
Noun
-
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
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Designed to naturally decay over roughly a decade, these statues impress wanderers who seek them out.—
Kristy Tolley,
Travel + Leisure,
16 May 2026
Adjective
-
One non-hospital option that may be lesser known to people is ambulatory surgery centers.—
Anthem Blue Cross California,
Daily News,
10 June 2026
-
Patients are now undergoing intricate brain and spine surgeries in ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) and returning home the same day.—
Richard Menger MD MPA,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
In the summer, Akagawa lives full time at his second home in the woods by Rikuzentakata, the drifting post visible from his windows.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
-
Essential oils release tiny molecules that drift into the nose, where olfactory receptors pick them up and pass signals along the olfactory nerve.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
Affordable July 4 destinations July 4 may be a peak travel period, but travelers can still snag some solid deals for a beach vacation.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
24 June 2026
-
Weekend travelers also come in by road from Guadalajara.—
Food Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gad (about).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gad%20%28about%29. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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