1 C1 idiomatic slang
(Dated, British) To waste time or behave in a pointless, foolish way.
"Stop bally about and come in for dinner before it gets cold."
inseparable
bally about
C1 slang inseparable intransitive
(Dated British slang) To waste time or behave in a foolish, aimless manner.
In plain English
To spend time doing silly or pointless things instead of something useful.
What does "bally about" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Usage tip
'Bally' is a dated British euphemism for a stronger expletive. 'Bally about' is now largely archaic and would sound old-fashioned or comic to modern British ears. You might encounter it in pre-1960s literature or humorous period drama.
Words that pair with "bally about"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
time day afternoon instead nonsense
How to conjugate "bally about"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
bally about
I/you/we/they
3rd person
ballies about
he/she/it
Past simple
ballied about
yesterday
Past participle
ballied about
have + pp
-ing form
ballying about
continuous
Hear "bally about" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "bally about" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "bally about"
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