1 A2 neutral
To change your physical position, moving from place to place within an area.
"It's important to move about regularly during a long flight to avoid stiffness."
move about
A2 neutral transitive/intransitive
To change position or location, either within a space or more broadly by relocating frequently.
In plain English
Go from one place to another, or change where you live or work regularly.
What does "move about" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 A2 neutral
To change where you live or work frequently, relocating from place to place.
"His father was in the military, so he moved about a lot as a child and attended five different schools."
3 B1 neutral
To reposition or rearrange objects within a space.
"She moved the chairs about until she found an arrangement that worked for the meeting."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To travel about or around — largely transparent.
Actually means
Go from one place to another, or change where you live or work regularly.
Usage tip
Very common in British English. Can describe physical movement within a room or building, or a lifestyle of frequent relocation. Also used transitively to mean repositioning an object.
Words that pair with "move about"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
house room job country furniture freely
How to conjugate "move about"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
move about
I/you/we/they
3rd person
moves about
he/she/it
Past simple
moved about
yesterday
Past participle
moved about
have + pp
-ing form
moving about
continuous
Hear "move about" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "move about" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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