Muck about Meaning in English
expression
ˈmək/ /əˈbaʊt
MUHK uh-BOWT
mˈʌk/ /ɐbˈaʊt
MUHK uh-BOWT
Definition
To behave in a silly or playful way instead of being serious, or to waste time without doing anything important.
Usage & Nuances
Informal and chiefly British English. Synonyms: 'mess around', 'goof off'. Often used with children or friends. Not commonly used in American English; 'mess around' is more typical there. Suggests playfulness or lack of productivity rather than causing real trouble.
Spanish: hacer tonterías - perder el tiempoPortuguese (BR): fazer bagunça - perder tempoPortuguese (PT): andar a brincar - perder tempoChinese (Simplified): 胡闹 - 浪费时间Chinese (Traditional): 胡鬧 - 浪費時間Hindi: मस्ती करना - समय बर्बाद करनाArabic: يعبث - يضيع الوقتBengali: আনাড়ি আচরণ করা - সময় নষ্ট করাRussian: валять дурака - бездельничатьJapanese: ふざける - 時間を無駄にするVietnamese: làm trò ngớ ngẩn - lãng phí thời gianKorean: 장난치다 - 시간 낭비하다Turkish: oyalanmak - saçmalamakUrdu: ادھر ادھر گھومنا - وقت ضائع کرناIndonesian: bercanda - membuang waktu
Example Sentences
The children love to muck about in the garden.
basic
Stop mucking about and do your homework.
basic
They mucked about all afternoon and got nothing done.
basic
There's no time to muck about—let's get this finished!
natural
We just mucked about at the park until it got dark.
natural
He always mucks about during serious meetings.
natural