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honey around

C1 informal inseparable intransitive

In simple words

Be very sweet and flattering toward someone to try to get something from them

Literal meaning: To move around someone the way bees circle honey — drawn by sweetness

Meanings

1 C1 idiomatic informal

rare

To behave in an overly flattering or ingratiating manner around someone in order to gain their favor

"He spent the whole conference honeying around the senior partners, hoping for a promotion."

Grammar: inseparable

Usage notes

Rare and somewhat regional. Most common in Southern American English. Implies insincerity — the 'honey' quality is excessive sweetness used for selfish ends. Not widely known outside informal American regional dialects.

Commonly used with

boss teacher someone important all day constantly

Forms

Base

honey around

I/you/we/they

3rd person

honeys around

he/she/it

Past simple

honeyed around

yesterday

Past participle

honeyed around

have + pp

-ing form

honeying around

continuous

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Synonyms

fawn over butter up flatter suck up to ingratiate oneself sweet-talk

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