1 B2 idiomatic slang
To waste time or behave in a silly, unproductive way.
"Stop fucking about and get the report finished before the deadline."
inseparable
fuck about
B2 slang inseparable transitive/intransitive
British vulgar slang for wasting time, behaving foolishly, or treating someone inconsiderately.
In plain English
To waste time doing silly things, or to treat someone badly by not being serious or honest with them.
What does "fuck about" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic slang
To treat someone poorly by being dishonest, unreliable, or inconsiderate with their time or feelings.
"He's been fucking her about for months — he needs to decide if he wants a relationship or not."
separable
Usage tip
Strongly vulgar; exclusively British usage. Not appropriate in formal or professional settings. Can be intransitive (wasting time) or transitive (messing someone around). The transitive use implies deliberately misleading or inconveniencing someone.
Words that pair with "fuck about"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
time people system job feelings
How to conjugate "fuck about"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
fuck about
I/you/we/they
3rd person
fucks about
he/she/it
Past simple
fucked about
yesterday
Past participle
fucked about
have + pp
-ing form
fucking about
continuous
Hear "fuck about" in the wild
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Other ways to say "fuck about"
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