Akademik

monkey around
verb
do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly
-

The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house

• Syn:
↑putter, ↑mess around, ↑potter, ↑tinker, ↑monkey, ↑muck about, ↑muck around
• Derivationally related forms: ↑tinker (for: ↑tinker), ↑tinkerer (for: ↑tinker), ↑potterer (for: ↑potter), ↑putterer (for: ↑putter)
• Hypernyms: ↑work
• Hyponyms: ↑puddle
• Verb Frames:
-

Somebody ——s

-

Somebody ——s PP

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ˌmonkey a ˈround ˌmonkey a ˈbout [intransitive] [present tense I/you/we/they monkey around he/she/it monkeys around present participle monkeying around past tense monkeyed around past participle monkeyed around] informal phrasal verb
to behave in a silly way
Thesaurus: to behave in a silly waysynonym
Main entry: monkey

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monkey around (or Brit monkey about) [phrasal verb]
informal
1 : to do things that are not useful or serious : to waste time

We just monkeyed around [=fooled around, messed around] all afternoon.

a young scientist monkeying around in the lab

2 monkey around/about with (something) informal
2 a : to use or do (something) in a way that is not very serious

He enjoys monkeying around with [=fooling around with] his car's engine.

2 b : to handle or play with (something) in a careless or foolish way

You shouldn't be monkeying around with dangerous chemicals.

• • •
Main Entry: ↑monkey

Useful english dictionary. 2012.