fool around
verb
variants or chiefly British fool about
fooled around; fooling around; fools around
intransitive verb
1
: to behave in a way that is not very serious
When it comes to safety, we don't fool around.
often, specifically : to spend time idly, aimlessly, or frivolously
Later in the day, the three of us were fooling around, waiting for Mr. Michaels to get class started. 
Marilyn Reynolds
Marilyn Reynolds 2
: to engage in casual sexual activity
She found out that her partner had been fooling around on her. [=having sex with someone else]
see also fool around with 
Synonyms
- act up
- clown (around)
- cut up
- horse around
- hotdog
- monkey (around)
- show off
- showboat
- skylark
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
quit fooling around on the jungle gym, or you'll get hurt we fooled around outdoors for a while, then went in to get some work done
Word History
First Known Use
1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1
fools around
verb
1
as in horses around
to engage in attention-getting playful or boisterous behavior quit fooling around on the jungle gym, or you'll get hurt Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- horses around
- cuts up
- shows off
- acts up
- revels
- clowns (around)
- hotdogs
- monkeys (around)
- showboats
- roars
- skylarks
- misbehaves
- carries on
- wassails
- roughhouses
- capers
- gambols
- larks
- cavorts
- frisks
- carouses
- frolics
- romps
- mafficks
- rollicks
- disports
2
as in plays
to spend time in aimless activity we fooled around outdoors for a while, then went in to get some work done Synonyms & Similar Words
- plays
- messes around
- fribbles
- hangs about
- goofs (around)
- kicks around
- fiddles (around)
- doodles
- potters (around)
- trifles
- putters (around)
- monkeys (around)
- horses around
- lounges
- dillydallies
- idles
- dawdles
- loafs
- hangs (around or out)
- clowns (around)
- tinkers
- lolls
- diddles (with)
- dallies
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- settles (down)
- buckles (down)
- sets (to)
- knuckles down