Go away meaning
Go away means to leave a person or a place. It can also mean to leave home for some time, usually for a holiday.
go away
go away · went · gone · going
Go away! I’m trying to sleep.
Go 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.
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1
Leave a person or a place
go away
- Go away! I’m trying to sleep.
- The dog just wouldn’t go away.
- Please don’t go away. I need your help.
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2
Leave home for some time, usually for a holiday
go away
- We’re going away for the weekend.
- Are you going away this summer?
- They went away to the coast for a week.
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3
Disappear, like a pain or a problem
go away
- My headache still hasn’t gone away.
- This problem won’t just go away.
- Will the rash go away on its own?
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use go 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 go away separable?
Go away has no object. To name the place you leave, add from: Go away from the edge! To name where you go, add to: We went away to the mountains.
Go away! said to a person is rude. To be polite, say Could you give me a minute, please? or I’d like to be alone.
Verb tenses for go away
| Present | I go away · she goes away |
|---|---|
| Past | went away |
| Present perfect | have gone away |
| -ing form | going away |
Common mistakes with go away
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: The pain went off after an hour.
Right: The pain went away after an hour.
For a pain or a problem that disappears, use go away.
Wrong: He went away from home at eighteen to study.
Right: He left home at eighteen to study.
For leaving home to live somewhere else, say leave home.
Wrong: We’re going away to holiday next week.
Right: We’re going away on holiday next week.
Say on holiday in the UK, or on vacation in the US.
Synonyms and opposites of go away
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- leavethe general word; it can take an object
- get awayescape, or take a short holiday to rest
- disappearstop being there, for a pain or a problem
Opposite
- come backreturn to this place
- staynot leave
Go away quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1We’re ___ for a few days. Can you water the plants?
Go away means leave home for a while.
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2Choose the right sentence.
A pain goes away when it disappears.
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3Your little brother keeps bothering you. You shout: ___!
Go away! tells someone to leave you.
More phrasal verbs with go
All phrasal verbs with go, by level, with an exercise
16 phrasal verbs start with go. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
- go outA1leave your home to do something fun
- go backA1return to a place where you were before
- go inA2enter a room or a building
- go intoA2enter a place
- go onB1continue, or last for a period of time
- go downB1become lower, like a price, a number or a temperature
- go upB1become higher, like a price, a number or a temperature
- go forB1choose something
- go withB1look or taste good together with something
- go offB2start ringing loudly, like an alarm, or explode, like a bomb
- go throughB2live through a difficult or unpleasant time
- go overB2check something carefully, looking for mistakes
- go aroundB2be enough for everyone in a group to have some
- go aheadB2start or continue doing something you planned
- go afterB2follow or chase someone to catch them or talk to them
Go away FAQ
Questions people ask about go away.
What is the difference between go away and get away?
Both can mean go on holiday. Get away suggests you need a rest or an escape. Go away is more neutral: We’re going away for Easter.
What is the difference between go away and leave?
Leave can take an object: leave the house. Go away has no object and often means go far, or for a while.
What is the past tense of go away?
Went away, and the past participle is gone away: They’ve gone away for the week.
Use go 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.