FluencyCraft

round

"Round" is a wonderfully versatile word in English — it works as an adjective, noun, verb, and even a preposition or adverb! It has many meanings, so here are the most common and useful ones you'll encounter every day.

1adjectivecircular or curved shape

When something is shaped like a circle or a ball — with no sharp corners or edges — you call it round. Think of a coin, a wheel, or the sun. It's the most basic meaning of the word.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

The table in our kitchen is round, so everyone can see each other easily.

She drew a round shape on the paper and turned it into a smiley face.

The baby has such round, chubby cheeks!

2nouna stage or session in a competition or process

In sports, games, or competitions, a 'round' is one stage or period of play. Think of it like a chapter in a book — after one round ends, the next one begins. You also use it for a round of talks or meetings.

sports, business, everyday language · Modern, widely used

The boxer won the fight in the third round.

Our team made it to the second round of the tournament.

The two countries held a new round of peace talks.

3nouna set of drinks for a group

When you are at a bar or a social gathering and one person buys a drink for everyone in the group, that is called 'a round'. People often take turns buying rounds.

social situations · Modern, widely used

It's my turn to buy the next round — what would everyone like?

He bought a round of drinks to celebrate his promotion.

They each bought a round before the evening was over.

4verbto go around something

When you move in a curve around the edge of something — like a corner, a bend in a road, or a cape at sea — you 'round' it. Imagine a car smoothly turning around a corner.

everyday language, navigation · Modern, widely used

The ship rounded the cape and entered calmer waters.

She rounded the corner and suddenly saw the surprise party.

The cyclist rounded the final bend and crossed the finish line.

5verbto round a number up or down

In math, when you adjust a number to the nearest whole number or a simpler value, you 'round' it. For example, 4.7 rounded to the nearest whole number becomes 5. You can 'round up' (go higher) or 'round down' (go lower).

mathematics, everyday language · Modern, widely used

The teacher told us to round our answers to the nearest ten.

The price is $9.97, but the cashier rounded it up to $10.

If you round 3.2 down, you get 3.

6prepositionon all sides of / in a circular path

Used like 'around', 'round' can describe movement or position encircling something. This use is especially common in British English. Think of it as drawing a circle around an object or moving in a loop.

everyday language (especially British English) · Modern, widely used

The children sat round the fire to keep warm.

We walked round the old city walls in about an hour.

She wrapped a scarf round her neck before going outside.

Content generated by AI — may contain inaccuracies