1 B1 idiomatic informal
To spend time doing nothing productive, idling in a lazy and aimless way.
"He spent the whole summer loafing about the house instead of looking for a job."
loaf about
B1 informal intransitive
To spend time lazily doing nothing in particular.
In plain English
To do nothing useful and just hang around being lazy.
What does "loaf about" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
The verb 'loaf' means to idle; 'about' indicates movement or presence without purpose — like a loaf of bread going nowhere.
Actually means
To do nothing useful and just hang around being lazy.
Usage tip
Primarily British English. Slightly disapproving in tone — implies wasted time and laziness. Interchangeable with 'loaf around'. The verb 'loaf' on its own also carries this meaning.
Words that pair with "loaf about"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
house all day streets weekend home place
How to conjugate "loaf about"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
loaf about
I/you/we/they
3rd person
loafs about
he/she/it
Past simple
loafed about
yesterday
Past participle
loafed about
have + pp
-ing form
loafing about
continuous
Hear "loaf about" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "loaf about" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "loaf about"
Swap in when you want variety — tap a linked one to explore it.
Keep exploring
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