# fool about

CEFR B2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fool-about
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to behave in a silly or playful way instead of being serious or working.

For teachers: to behave in a frivolous or irresponsible manner; often used to describe time-wasting or playful behavior that lacks a serious purpose.

## Examples

- Stop fooling about and finish your homework.
- The children were fooling about in the garden when they accidentally broke the window.
- While the supervisor was away, the junior staff spent most of the afternoon fooling about instead of completing the quarterly reports.

## Pitfalls

- Not "They were fooling about the tools." but "They were fooling about with the tools." — if you mention the object being played with, you must include the preposition 'with'.

## Usage notes

- often used as a command to tell someone to focus or be serious.
- Teaching tip: this is a near-synonym of 'mess around' or 'play around'; it is slightly more common in British English than American English, where 'fool around' is preferred.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.