A gadabout is a person who constantly goes from place to place, especially for social activities and fun rather than for any serious purpose. Imagine someone who's always running from one friend's house to another, attending every party, visiting every new store, and never staying home. That person is a gadabout.

The word carries a slightly critical tone, suggesting someone who perhaps spends too much time flitting around rather than settling down to work or responsibilities. If your neighbor is always traveling, attending events, and seems to know everyone in town because they're everywhere, people might call them a gadabout. A student who spends every recess visiting different groups of friends instead of staying with one might be called a gadabout.

The verb form is gad about or simply gad, meaning to move from place to place in this restless, social way.

A gadabout is always moving, always seeking the next activity, rarely content to be still. The word suggests someone whose constant motion might leave them scattered rather than focused.