roundabout

1 of 2

adjective

round·​about ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t 

: circuitous, indirect

had to take a roundabout route

roundaboutness noun

roundabout

2 of 2

noun

1

: a circuitous route : detour

2

British : merry-go-round

3

: a short close-fitting jacket worn by men and boys especially in the 19th century

4

: rotary sense 2

Synonyms

Adjective

• circuitous
• circular
• indirect

Examples of roundabout in a Sentence

Adjective

He took a roundabout route to town.

In a roundabout way, he told me that my help was not wanted.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Which is a roundabout way of saying that this Palace kit, which looks like the art project of a student who has been encouraged far beyond their talent and needs someone to tell them ‘no’ once in a while, is great. —Nick Miller, The Athletic, 12 Aug. 2024

This is a roundabout way of putting the present’s ultimate compliment: that the artist is one of us. —Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2024

Noun

Before the start of the recent performance by Mitsuki Miyawaki (universally known as Mitski), a stream of cars pulled up at Stanford’s Frost Amphitheatre roundabout to drop off excited high school students. —Jasmine Sessoms, The Mercury News, 14 Oct. 2024

After looking into an array of potential designs, including several signaled and roundabout intersections, the multi-lane roundabout was determined to be the best option. —Joseph States, Chicago Tribune, 12 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1608, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1734, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

roundabout

adjective

round·​about

ˈrau̇n-də-ˌbau̇t

: not direct

went a roundabout way