1 B1 neutral
To smoke tobacco or other substances in the presence of other people, often without their consent.
"Please don't smoke around the children — it's very bad for their health."
inseparable
smoke around
B1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To smoke cigarettes or other substances in the presence of others or in a shared space.
In plain English
To smoke near other people.
What does "smoke around" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 informal
To smoke casually in a social setting, moving between groups of people.
"He spent the party smoking around on the terrace, chatting with different guests."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To smoke while being around others.
Actually means
To smoke near other people.
Usage tip
Not a highly standardized phrasal verb. More of a prepositional construction. Used in contexts discussing passive smoking or social smoking etiquette. Can be used with an indirect object: 'smoke around children', 'smoke around colleagues'.
Words that pair with "smoke around"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
children kids non-smokers family colleagues pets
How to conjugate "smoke around"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
smoke around
I/you/we/they
3rd person
smokes around
he/she/it
Past simple
smoked around
yesterday
Past participle
smoked around
have + pp
-ing form
smoking around
continuous
Hear "smoke around" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "smoke around" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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