all-round

all-round — adjective

1. describes someone who is good at doing several different things rather than only

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes someone who is good at doing several different things rather than only one — for example, a sportsperson who can play many positions, or a student strong in both arts and science.

Example

Megan is an all-round athlete who excels at swimming, tennis, and long-distance running.

all-round + athlete: many sports skills

The school awarded Daniel a prize for being the most all-round student in his year.

superlative: most all-round + student

Common collocations
  • all-round athlete
  • all-round player
  • all-round performer
  • all-round student
  • all-round entertainer
  • best all-round
Synonyms
  • versatile

    more formal; emphasises ability to switch between roles

  • well-rounded

    broader; covers character and education, not just skill range

  • multi-talented

    stresses high level of skill in each area, not just competence

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

all-round + noun (athlete, performer, student)

Usage Note

Used attributively (before a noun) and almost always describes a person or their role: athlete, player, performer, student, entertainer. Distinguish from sense 2, which describes things like courses, programmes, or improvements rather than people. Mainly British; American English often prefers 'all-around'.

Common Mistakes

My sister is all-round.
My sister is an all-round athlete.
usually needs a noun after it; rarely stands alone as a predicate.
He is a all-round student.
He is an all-round student.
use 'an' because 'all' begins with a vowel sound.

2. describes a thing — such as a course, a product, or a result — that deals with o

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes a thing — such as a course, a product, or a result — that deals with or is good in many areas at the same time, not just one.

Example

The new phone offers an all-round improvement in camera, battery life, and screen brightness.

all-round + improvement covering several features

Parents praised the school for its strong all-round education in maths, sport, and the arts.

all-round + education across subjects

Common collocations
  • all-round improvement
  • all-round performance
  • all-round protection
  • all-round education
  • all-round success
  • all-round quality
Synonyms
  • comprehensive

    more formal; stresses that nothing important is left out

  • wide-ranging

    emphasises breadth across many topics or areas

  • overall

    focuses on the total effect rather than each area separately

Antonyms
  • narrow

    limited to one or two areas only

  • partial

    covering some areas but leaving others out

Grammar Patterns

all-round + abstract noun (improvement, performance, quality)

Usage Note

Subject is usually a thing or activity (course, performance, improvement, protection) rather than a person — that is sense 1. Often paired with positive abstract nouns ('improvement', 'success', 'performance') and rarely with negative ones. Mainly British; American English usually writes 'all-around'.

Common Mistakes

The protection is all-round.
The jacket gives all-round protection.
works best directly before a noun, not after a linking verb.
an all-round of subjects
a wide range of subjects
'all-round' is an adjective, not a noun phrase.

Word family

  • all-rounder
    nounB2
  • all-around
    adjectiveB2
  • roundly
    adverbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all praise breadth of ability, but they aim at slightly different things. 'All-round' is the most common British choice for sportspeople and performers; it suggests solid competence across the main parts of an activity. 'Versatile' is more formal and stresses the ability to switch smoothly between very different roles — a versatile actor can play comedy and tragedy. 'Well-rounded' goes wider than skill alone; it praises a balanced character and education, not just talent — a well-rounded student reads, plays sport, and joins clubs. 'Multi-talented' is the strongest of the four: it claims a high level of real skill in each separate area, not just adequate ability. Compare: an all-round footballer plays well in any position; a multi-talented footballer also paints, sings, and runs a charity.

all-round ↗versatile ↗well-roundedmulti-talented

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • truly all-round
  • genuinely all-round

Phrases

  • best all-round
  • an all-round talent
  • all-round ability
  • all-round development

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishModern English

Formed in 19th-century British English by joining 'all' with 'round' (meaning 'on every side'), originally describing someone or something good in every direction or aspect. The hyphenated form became fixed as a single adjective by the late 1800s, especially in writing about sport. American English usually keeps the older fuller form 'all-around', while British English shortened it to 'all-round'.