Give out meaning
Give out means to give something to each of a number of people. It can also mean to stop working or be used up.
give something out
give out · gave · given · giving
The teacher gave out the exam papers.
Give out meanings and examples
2 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 each of a number of people
give something out
- The teacher gave out the exam papers.
- Volunteers were giving out free water.
- She gave the leaflets out at the station.
-
2
Stop working or be used up
give out
- His legs gave out near the top of the hill.
- Our supplies gave out after three days.
- The old engine finally gave out.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use give out 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 out separable?
When give out means hand something to people, it is separable: give out the papers, give the papers out, give them out. When it means stop working, it has no object.
Hand out is the more common phrasal verb for passing things to a group. A handout is a noun. Give out can also mean make a sound or light, but give off is more usual for smells and heat.
Verb tenses for give out
| Present | I give out · she gives out |
|---|---|
| Past | gave out |
| Present perfect | have given out |
| -ing form | giving out |
Common mistakes with give out
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: Give out them, please.
Right: Give them out, please.
A pronoun goes between give and out.
Wrong: My legs gave up after the long walk.
Right: My legs gave out after the long walk.
Give up means stop trying. Give out means stop working because of tiredness.
Wrong: The shop is giving out a lot of money.
Right: The shop is giving away a lot of money.
Give out is for handing items to each person. For free things, give away is usual.
Synonyms and opposites of give out
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- hand outthe usual choice for giving things to a group
- pass outgive one to each person; also means faint
- run outbe used up
Opposite
- collecttake things from each person
- keep goingcontinue to work
Give out quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
-
1The waiters ___ free samples at the door.
Give out means give to each person.
-
2Choose the right sentence.
A pronoun goes in the middle.
-
3“The car’s engine gave out.” What happened?
Give out can mean stop working.
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 out FAQ
Questions people ask about give out.
What does give out mean?
It means give something to each of many people, or stop working because of tiredness or age.
What is the difference between give out and give away?
Give out is about handing something to each person in a group. Give away is about giving something for free.
What does “my legs gave out” mean?
It means your legs became too weak to keep going.
Use give out 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.