ɡɪv əˈweɪ
neutral
beginner
- Base verb:
- give
- Particle:
- away
- Separable:
- Yes
What does "give away" mean?
- To give something to someone for free
- To reveal a secret or information accidentally
- To present the bride to the groom at a wedding ceremony
Examples
- We're giving away free samples at the store today.
- Don't give away the ending of the movie—I haven't seen it yet!
- Her father gave her away at the wedding ceremony.
- His nervous laugh gave away the fact that he was lying.
- They gave away all their old furniture when they moved.
How to use it
A 'giveaway' (noun) is something given for free, or a clue that reveals something. 'Dead giveaway' means something that obviously reveals the truth.
Word order
Always separable: 'give something away' or 'give away something'
Similar expressions
donate
reveal
disclose
betray
expose
Opposites
keep
conceal
hide
sell
Related phrasal verbs
- give up
To stop trying to do something, often because it is too difficult
- give in
To finally agree to something after refusing or resisting
- give back
To return something to its owner
- give out
To distribute something to multiple people
- give off
To emit or produce something (smell, heat, light, radiation)
- get away
To escape from a place or person
Use it in a practice answer
Try "give away" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.