Phrasal Verb – Give away.
To give something for free; also to lose an advantage carelessly, to reveal a secret, or to walk the bride down the aisle (4 meanings below).
Give away has several meanings. In all of them it is separable – the object can go in the middle (give it away) or at the end (give away the prize). With a pronoun, it must go in the middle: give it away, not “give away it”.
Meaning 1: To give something for free
Something can be given away as part of a promotion, or because you no longer want it.
- “Have you heard? A restaurant down the street is giving away burgers!”
Meaning 2: To lose an advantage carelessly
- “Barcelona gave away a three-goal lead.”
Meaning 3: To reveal a secret, often by accident
The related idiom give the game away means to accidentally reveal a secret or plan.
- “Look at him grinning – he knows something, but he won’t give it away!”
Meaning 4: To walk the bride down the aisle
At a traditional wedding, a father (or another family member) gives away the bride by walking her down the aisle.
- “You look beautiful. I’ll be so proud to give you away tomorrow!”
The noun giveaway (one word) means a free gift, or a clue that reveals something: “His red face was a dead giveaway.”
In the News
Spotted in the newsHong Kong is giving away 500,000 free airline tickets. Here’s when they’ll be available to Europeanseuronews.comWhat is a phrasal verb?
A phrasal verb is a verb combined with 1 or 2 small words. These small words are particles. A particle can be a preposition or adverb. The phrasal verb has a different meaning from the verb alone because the particle changes the meaning of the verb.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can mean to give something for free, to lose an advantage, to reveal a secret by accident, or to walk the bride down the aisle at a wedding.
Yes. You can say “give away the tickets” or “give the tickets away”. With a pronoun, it must be separated: “give it away”.
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