hereabouts
Around here; in this neck of the woods.
Also called hereabout, around here.
Updated September 24, 2026
hereabouts pronunciation
/heer-uh-BOWTS/
Meaning
Hereabouts means in this area, close by, or somewhere on this stretch of road. Rural Southern and Appalachian talk keeps the old word when city folks would just say around here. Ask where the best catfish is and somebody will point you to a place hereabouts. It sounds a little old-timey, which is half the charm.
How folks use it
- “Ain't seen a deer this big hereabouts in years.”
- “Is there a feed store hereabouts, or do I have to drive into town?”
Origin and etymology
English hereabout plus an -s, on the books since the late 1500s (Oxford English Dictionary cites 1584). The word never died out in British and American English, but it hangs on hardest in country speech. Southern and mountain talk treats it as everyday directional talk, not dictionary fancy.