ENGLISH
REFERENCE

buzz around

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

phr. v.. to move quickly and busily from place to place, often because you have a lot of work to do.

phr. v.. to move in a rapid, energetic, or restless manner within a specific area; often used to describe a person's industrious activity or a group's collective movement.


SIMPLE

The waiters buzz around the restaurant during the lunch rush.

CONTEXTUAL

I spent the whole morning buzzing around the house trying to get everything ready for the party.

COMPLEX

Journalists were buzzing around the courthouse, eager to catch a glimpse of the defendant as the verdict was announced.

Particles
around
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
buzz + around + object
Usage

usually describes physical movement in a confined space like an office, kitchen, or event venue.

Teaching tip

the verb is onomatopoeic, mimicking the sound and movement of a bee; use this imagery to help students remember the 'busy' and 'fast' aspects of the meaning.

Pitfall

He was buzzing around of the office.He was buzzing around the office.the particle 'around' acts as a preposition here and does not require 'of' before the object.

© 2026 English Reference