about

[[t]əba͟ʊt[/t]]

♦

(In addition to the uses shown below, about is used after some verbs, nouns, and adjectives to introduce extra information. About is also often used after verbs of movement, such as `walk' and `drive', and in phrasal verbs such as `mess about' and `set about', especially in British English.)

1) PREP You use about to introduce who or what something relates to or concerns.

She came in for a coffee, and told me about her friend Shona...

She knew a lot about food.

...advice about exercise and diet...

He never complains about his wife.

2) PREP When you mention the things that an activity or institution is about, you are saying what it involves or what its aims are.

Leadership is about the ability to implement change.

3) PREP You use about after some adjectives to indicate the person or thing that a feeling or state of mind relates to.

`I'm sorry about Patrick,' she said...

I feel so guilty and angry about the whole issue.

4) PREP If you do something about a problem, you take action in order to solve it.

Rachel was going to do something about Jacob...

He said he'd ask Nina for a divorce, but he never did anything about it.

5) PREP When you say that there is a particular quality about someone or something, you mean that they have this quality.

There was a warmth and passion about him I never knew existed....

I think there's something a little peculiar about the results of your test.

6) ADV: ADV num About is used in front of a number to show that the number is not exact.

In my local health centre there's about forty parking spaces...

The rate of inflation is running at about 2.7 percent.

Syn:

approximately

Ant:

precisely

7) ADV: ADV after v If someone or something moves about, they keep moving in different directions.

The house isn't big, what with three children running about.

Syn:

around

PREP: v PREP n

About is also a preposition.

From 1879 to 1888 he wandered about Germany, Switzerland, and Italy... His hair was drifting about his shoulders like dirty snow.

8) PREP If you put something about a person or thing, you put it around them.

Helen threw her arms about him...

She was elegantly dressed with a double strand of pearls about her neck.

Syn:

round, around

9) ADJ: v-link ADJ If someone or something is about, they are present or available.

There's lots of money about these days for schemes like this.

10) ADJ: v-link ADJ to-inf If you are about to do something, you are going to do it very soon. If something is about to happen, it will happen very soon.

I think he's about to leave...

Argentina has lifted all restrictions on trade and visas are about to be abolished...

The film was about to start.

11) how about → see how

what about → see what

just about → see just

12) PHRASE: usu PHR after v, also v-link PHR If someone is out and about, they are going out and doing things, especially after they have been unable to for a while.

Despite considerable pain she has been getting out and about almost as normal...

The regulations were relaxed and the prisoners could get out and about a bit.

13) PHRASE: usu PHR after v, also v-link PHR If someone is out and about, they are going to a lot of different places, often as part of their job.

They knew that I was again on the scene because they saw me out and about.