Around | Meaning, Examples & Part of Speech

The word around can mean “surrounding,” “along the outside of,” and “to different places.” It functions as a preposition or an adverb and is a particle of phrasal verbs like “come around” and “turn around.”

QuillBot’s free AI chat can help you identify the part of speech of “around” in a sentence.

Is around a preposition?

The part of speech of the word around is often a preposition.

Around as a preposition

Is around an adverb?

In traditional grammars, around is typically classed as an adverb when it has the same meanings as its prepositional uses but does not introduce a prepositional object.

For example, in “We walked around the park,” “around” is a preposition and “the park” is its object. In “The park was closed, so we walked around,” on the other hand—where the meaning of “around” is the same—“around” is an adverb because there’s no object following it.

“Around” is also usually categorized as an adverb in the phrases “around here” and “around there,” where it means “nearby” or “in the vicinity of” (e.g., “I used to live around there”).

If “around” is part of a phrasal verb like “come around,” it may be classed as a type of adverb in traditional grammars but as the participle of the phrasal verb in more modern grammars (e.g., “He didn’t like the suggestion, but give him a few days, and I’m sure he’ll come around to the idea”).

What part of speech is around?

The part of speech of around is a preposition or an adverb. However, in some older grammars, it may be labeled as an adjective rather than an adverb when it comes after a noun and means “in existence” or “nearby/in the area” (e.g., “She was one of the smartest people around,” “She was the only person around”).

What does turn around mean?

The phrasal verb turn around can mean:

• Move to face the opposite direction
• Change something that is failing so that it starts to succeed
• Complete a task such as an order

The noun turnaround is written as one word and can mean:

• A change from failure to success
• The time it takes to complete a task such as an order
• A significant change of approach or opinion

What does beat around the bush mean?

When you’re explaining something, if you beat around the bush (or “beat about the bush”), you avoid making the most important point or take too long to make it.

What does all around mean?

All around can mean:

• “Surrounding” or “on every side of” (e.g., “There were presents all around the tree.”)
• “In or to many different parts of” (e.g., “The movie was a hit all around the world.”)
• “Collectively” or “among everyone present” (e.g., “There were nods of approval all around.”)
•  “In every respect” or “overall” (e.g., “It’s the best family car for our needs all around.”)

The adjective all-around means “relating to all aspects of” or “versatile” (e.g., “She’s an accomplished all-around tennis player,” “It’s the best all-around family car”).

Frequently asked questions about under around

What are some synonyms for around?

Some synonyms for around include:

• Surrounding
• All over
• About
• Along the edge of
• In the vicinity

QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you find the best synonym for “around” in your specific context.

Is around a verb?

Around is not a verb. The part of speech of the word “around” is typically a preposition (e.g., “Gather around me, please!”) or an adverb (e.g., “Please gather around!).

However, “round” can be used as a verb, meaning “to go around something” (e.g., “The driver rounded the curve too quickly”) or “to make something round in shape” (e.g., “You need to round your lips to make this sound”).

Why not ask QuillBot’s free AI Chat to help you identify the part of speech of “around” in your specific sentence?

What does around the clock mean?

Around the clock means “24 hours a day” or “all day and night” (e.g., “Our news team will bring you around-the-clock coverage of the event,” “I think that store’s open around the clock”).

QuillBot’s Paraphraser can help you find the best alternative expressions for “around the clock” in a specific context.

What does around the corner mean?

The idiomatic phrase around the corner means very near in time or very near in distance (e.g., “His birthday’s just around the corner,” “He lives right around the corner from me”).

QuillBot’s AI Chat can help you understand the meaning of idiomatic expressions like “around the clock.”