Standard Lemma guide

gadabout

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɡædəbaʊt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who restlessly moves from place to place, seeking amusement or the companionship of others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: social butterfly

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a restless seeker after amusement or social companionship

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: seeker, searcher, quester

History

Etymology

Deverbal from gad about.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: դատարկաշրջիկ (datarkašrǰik) — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Georgian: მოხეტიალე (moxeṭiale) — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Georgian: მაწანწალა (mac̣anc̣ala) — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Irish: rásaí — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Italian: saltafossi — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Māori: tourepa — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Māori: tou tīrairaka — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Scottish Gaelic: galbh — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Scottish Gaelic: galbhag — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Scottish Gaelic: maol-ruanaidh — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others
  • Scottish Gaelic: fear cèilidheach — person who restlessly moves from place to place seeking amusement or the companionship of others