Stand about Meaning in English
expression
ˈstænd/ /əˈbaʊt
STAND uh-BOWT
stˈænd/ /ɐbˈaʊt
STAND uh-BOWT
Definition
To stand in a place without doing anything, often waiting or wasting time.
Usage & Nuances
Informal. Used to describe idle waiting or loitering, often with slight annoyance. Common with groups: 'stand about in the hallway'. Not the same as 'stand up' or 'stand by'.
Spanish: estar de pie sin hacer nada - merodearPortuguese (BR): ficar parado sem fazer nada - ficar à toaPortuguese (PT): ficar parado sem fazer nada - andar por aíChinese (Simplified): 闲站着 - 闲逛Chinese (Traditional): 閒站著 - 閒逛Hindi: यूँ ही खड़ा रहनाArabic: يَقِف دون أن يفعل شيئًا - يتسكعBengali: অকারণে দাঁিয়ে থাকাRussian: стоять без дела - слонятьсяJapanese: 何もせず立っているVietnamese: đứng không làm gìKorean: 가만히 서 있다 - 멍하니 서 있다Turkish: boş boş durmak - oyalanmakUrdu: کھڑے رہنا بغیر کچھ کیے - آوارہ کھڑے رہناIndonesian: đứng loanh quanh - đứng không làm gì
Example Sentences
We had to stand about in the rain for half an hour.
basic
The students stood about waiting for the teacher.
basic
Don’t just stand about—help me clean up!
basic
Everyone was just standing about with nothing to do.
natural
I hate standing about at the airport during delays.
natural
The security guard told us not to stand about near the entrance.
natural