fooling around

[ˈfuːlɪŋ əˈraʊnd]

verb (gerund/present participle)

brincando; fazendo besteira; enrolação

1. Wasting time; engaging in playful or unproductive activities

Stop fooling around and finish your homework.

Pare de brincar e termine sua lição de casa.

2. Behaving in a silly or playful manner

The kids were fooling around in the backyard.

As crianças estavam brincando no quintal.

3. Engaging in casual physical intimacy or sexual activity

They were just fooling around, nothing serious.

Eles estavam apenas se beijando, nada de sério.

4. Tinkering or experimenting carelessly with something

He was fooling around with the car engine.

Ele estava mexendo no motor do carro.

NYC Slang

messin' around; playin' around; actin' the fool

Synonyms

Antonyms

Regional Variations

General Brazilian

brincando; fazendo besteira; enrolando

Most common usage across Brazil

Rio de Janeiro

zoando; vacilando

More casual/slang usage

São Paulo

brincando; fazendo besteira

Standard usage, similar to general Brazilian

Portugal

a brincar; a enganar; a perder tempo

Portuguese European: 'estar a brincar' more common than 'fooling around'

stop fooling around

quit fooling around

fool around with someone

fool around with something

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