Give away meaning
Give away means to give something to someone for free. It can also mean to show or tell something that was meant to be secret.
give something away
give away · gave · given · giving
We gave away all our old clothes.
Give away meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.
-
1
Give something to someone for free
give something away
- We gave away all our old clothes.
- They’re giving free coffee away today.
- She gave her old bike away to a neighbour.
-
2
Show or tell something that was meant to be secret
give somebody or something away
- Don’t give away the ending of the film!
- His face gave him away. He was lying.
- I won’t give your surprise away.
-
3
Lose an advantage carelessly, especially in sport
give something away
- The defender gave away a penalty.
- We gave the lead away in the last minute.
- The team gave away two easy goals.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use give away in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is give away separable?
Give away is separable: give away the books, give the books away. A pronoun goes in the middle: give them away, not give away them.
A giveaway is a noun: a free gift, or something that shows the truth. His red face was a giveaway. Giveaway prices are very low. Do not mix up give away and give out.
Verb tenses for give away
| Present | I give away · she gives away |
|---|---|
| Past | gave away |
| Present perfect | have given away |
| -ing form | giving away |
Common mistakes with give away
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I gave away them.
Right: I gave them away.
A pronoun goes between give and away.
Wrong: He gave away me the secret.
Right: He gave the secret away to me.
Do not put a person between give and away. Use to + person, or tell.
Wrong: The teacher gave away the tests to all the students.
Right: The teacher gave out the tests to all the students.
Give out is for handing things to each person in a group.
Synonyms and opposites of give away
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- hand outgive things to a group of people
- donategive money or things to help others
- revealtell or show a secret, a more formal word
Opposite
- keepnot give something to anyone
- hold backkeep something to yourself
Give away quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1The shop is closing, so they are ___ everything for free.
Give away means give for free.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
A pronoun goes in the middle.
-
3“His smile gave him away.” What does it mean?
Give someone away means show their secret.
More phrasal verbs with give
All phrasal verbs with give, by level, with an exercise
6 phrasal verbs start with give. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Give away FAQ
Questions people ask about give away.
What does give away mean?
It means give something for free, or tell a secret by accident. We gave away the old sofa.
What is the difference between give away and give out?
Give away means give for free. Give out means hand things to many people, and they are not always free.
What does “a dead giveaway” mean?
It means a clear sign that shows the truth. Her nervous laugh was a dead giveaway.
Use give away in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.