rattle around
When something bounces around noisily inside something; or when a person is moving around in a house or space that feels very empty.
Meanings
To move or shake around loosely in a container, making a rattling noise.
"I can hear something rattling around inside the engine — we should get it checked."
To live or move in a space that is much too large, giving a sense of emptiness or isolation.
"Since the divorce, he's been rattling around alone in that huge apartment."
To persist as an idea, thought, or memory in someone's mind.
"That question has been rattling around in my head ever since she asked it."
Used in both British and American English. The figurative sense (rattling around in a large empty space) carries a connotation of loneliness or feeling lost. Informal in both senses. Can also describe an idea that someone keeps thinking about: 'It's been rattling around in my head.'
Commonly used with
Forms
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