1 B1 idiomatic informal
To spend time aimlessly and lazily without doing anything productive.
"Stop loafing around and do something useful with your afternoon."
loaf around
B1 informal intransitive
To spend time idly and without purpose, doing nothing useful.
In plain English
To hang around being lazy and not doing anything important.
What does "loaf around" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To drift around without purpose, like a loaf of bread left sitting out — 'around' implies aimless movement.
Actually means
To hang around being lazy and not doing anything important.
Usage tip
Interchangeable with 'loaf about'. More common in American English than 'loaf about'. Carries a slightly disapproving tone. The standalone verb 'loaf' is also used this way.
Words that pair with "loaf around"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
house apartment all day park town the place
How to conjugate "loaf around"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
loaf around
I/you/we/they
3rd person
loafs around
he/she/it
Past simple
loafed around
yesterday
Past participle
loafed around
have + pp
-ing form
loafing around
continuous
Hear "loaf around" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "loaf around" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Other ways to say "loaf around"
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