To mill about, or mill around, is to walk around a particular place or area, without going anywhere and without any particular purpose – usually while waiting for something.
Examples of use:
1. The baseball ground was overcrowded so the fans milled around outside the entrance.
2. The fire alarm rang at work and we spent half an hour aimlessly milling around in the office car park in the rain!
3. The crowd patiently milled about while waiting for the Prime Minister to appear.
4. The airline passengers milled around the departure lounge waiting for their delayed flight.
infinitive | mill about / around |
present simple | mill about / around and mills about / around |
-ing form | milling about / around |
past simple | milled about / around |
past participle | milled about / around |
Can you think of any ways to use the phrasal verb ‘mill around‘ in a sentence?
Where could you see people milling around in your city or village?
Image by Boston Public Library