Give in meaning
Give in means to finally agree to something after refusing. It can also mean to accept that you are beaten and stop fighting.
give in
give in · gave · given · giving
The kids asked for ice cream all day, and I gave in.
Give in 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.
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1
Finally agree to something after refusing
give in
- The kids asked for ice cream all day, and I gave in.
- He finally gave in and bought the dog.
- I won’t give in to their demands.
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2
Accept that you are beaten and stop fighting
give in
- The team never gave in, even when they were losing.
- After six hours, the climbers gave in to the cold.
- She refused to give in to the pain.
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3
Hand in a piece of work to a teacher or manager
give something in
- Please give in your tests at the end.
- He forgot to give his essay in on Monday.
- I’ll give the forms in tomorrow.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use give in 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 in separable?
When give in means agree or surrender, it has no object: I gave in. To say what you give in to, add to: give in to pressure. When it means hand in work, it is separable: give in the essay, give it in.
For homework, hand in is more usual than give in in British English. In American English people say turn in. Give in to temptation is a fixed phrase.
Verb tenses for give in
| Present | I give in · she gives in |
|---|---|
| Past | gave in |
| Present perfect | have given in |
| -ing form | giving in |
Common mistakes with give in
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I gave in him.
Right: I gave in to him.
Use to before the person or thing you give in to.
Wrong: The boss gave in my idea.
Right: The boss gave in to my idea.
Give in to someone or something.
Wrong: I gave up and let him have the last biscuit.
Right: I gave in and let him have the last biscuit.
Give up means stop trying. Give in means finally agree.
Synonyms and opposites of give in
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- give upstop trying; give in is more about agreeing or accepting a loss
- surrendera stronger word, often in war
- hand ingive in work to a teacher
Opposite
- hold outkeep refusing or resisting
- stand-up fordefend what you think is right
Give in quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1The baby cried for an hour, so in the end I ___ and picked her up.
Give in means finally agree.
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2Choose the right sentence.
Give in to + the thing.
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3“Please give in your essay by Friday.” What do you do?
Give in can mean hand in work.
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 in FAQ
Questions people ask about give in.
What does give in mean?
It means stop saying no and agree, or accept that you have lost. I gave in and watched the film.
What is the difference between give in and give up?
Give up means stop trying. Give in means agree after you refused, or accept defeat.
What does “give in to temptation” mean?
It means do something you wanted to do but knew you should not, such as eat a cake.
Use give in 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.