Phrasal verb
bang about
Definition
phrasal verb. to move around a place making a lot of loud noise, often by hitting things or dropping them.
phrasal verb. to move or work in a noisy, clumsy, or energetic manner, typically involving the creation of percussive sounds against surfaces or objects.
Examples
“Stop banging about in the kitchen; I am trying to sleep.”
“I could hear the neighbors banging about as they moved their heavy furniture into the new apartment.”
“The workmen spent the entire morning banging about in the attic, making it impossible for the residents below to concentrate on their tasks.”
Examples
simple
“Stop banging about in the kitchen; I am trying to sleep.”
contextual
“I could hear the neighbors banging about as they moved their heavy furniture into the new apartment.”
complex
“The workmen spent the entire morning banging about in the attic, making it impossible for the residents below to concentrate on their tasks.”
Usage
often used in the continuous form to describe an ongoing, annoying activity.
Teaching tip
this is a more casual and descriptive alternative to 'making noise'; the particle 'about' emphasizes movement within a space rather than a single sound.
Pitfall
He is banging about the door.
He is banging on the door.
'Bang about' describes general noisy movement in an area, while 'bang on' is used for hitting a specific object.
Phrasal verb
Particles
about
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
bang + about
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/bang-about