played around
Fooled about carelessly
Played around is the past tense of play around, meaning to engage in casual or uncommitted activity.
It can describe experimenting without serious intent: I played around with the settings until it worked.
It also means to behave frivolously when seriousness is expected: Stop playing around and focus.
In relationships, played around often implies sexual infidelity: She found out he'd been playing around.
- dabblingShallow, casual involvement
- testingExamining to evaluate
- trial and errorLearning through repeated attempts
- test driveEvaluative vehicle excursion
- improvisingCreating spontaneously without plan
games · tinkering · courting · fiddling · prototyping · flirting · experimenting · exploring · frolic · joking · just kidding · having a laugh · trying out · bantering · mucking about · goofing off · hobbies · killing time
played aroundfocused
Directing attention narrowly
buckled down · concentrated · applied oneself · knuckled down · committed
played aroundgot down to business
Began serious work
made progress · put in the work · labored · toiled · produced
play, around, played, playing, plays, player, players, playful, playfully