escape

es|cape1 [ ı`skeıp ] verb ***

▸ 1 get away from something bad

▸ 2 avoid something unpleasant

▸ 3 come out by accident

▸ 4 not remember/notice

▸ 5 go away on vacation

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) intransitive to get away from a place where you are in danger:

Three people died in the fire, but John escaped through the bedroom window.

escape from: His family escaped from Germany and arrived in Britain in 1938.

a ) intransitive or transitive to get away from a very unpleasant situation:

people trying to escape poverty

escape from: She saw university as a way to escape from her oppressive home life.

b ) intransitive to get away from a place that you are not supposed to leave such as a prison:

She was shot while trying to escape.

c ) intransitive or transitive to get away from an embarrassing or annoying situation:

Maggie started talking to me and I thought I'd never escape.

escape someone's clutches: He was trying to escape the clutches of two amorous young girls.

2. ) intransitive or transitive to avoid being killed or seriously injured in an accident or attack:

Two security guards escaped injury in the attack.

escape with: Mr. Smith escaped with cuts and bruises.

escape unhurt/unharmed/unscathed: Her two-week-old baby escaped unscathed.

escape with your life (=avoid being killed): He was lucky to escape with his life.

a ) transitive to avoid a difficult or unpleasant situation:

The area has escaped the ravages of war.

Hughes seems certain to escape punishment.

narrowly escape: San Diego narrowly escaped defeat in their first game of the season.

b ) intransitive or transitive to avoid thinking about or dealing with an unpleasant situation you are in:

escape from: The movies allowed people to escape from the depressing realities of their lives.

3. ) intransitive to come out of a container, usually by accident:

How will we know if there's any gas escaping?

About five tons of crude oil had escaped into the ocean.

a ) LITERARY to come out of your mouth, although you did not intend it to:

A weary sigh escaped from her lips.

4. ) transitive if something escapes you, you cannot remember it or you do not notice it:

His name escapes me right now.

It seems to have escaped him that I was the one who first introduced him to her.

escape your attention/notice: It had not escaped my attention that Joseph was absent.

5. ) intransitive INFORMAL to go away on vacation:

We're hoping to escape to the coast in May.

there's no escaping the fact that

used for saying that something is definitely true or important, even though you may prefer to think that it is not

escape

es|cape 2 [ ı`skeıp ] noun **

▸ 1 avoiding something bad

▸ 2 way not to think of something

▸ 3 gas/liquid escaping

▸ 4 vacation

▸ 5 computer key

1. ) count or uncount an act of avoiding or getting away from a person, place, or bad situation:

escape from: He had no means of escape from his debts.

chance/hope of escape: There was now only a slim chance of escape.

make your escape: She was relieved to make her escape.

escape route: Make sure you are aware of possible escape routes from your hotel room.

a ) have a narrow/lucky escape to avoid being killed or seriously injured only because you were lucky or made a very big effort:

A couple had a narrow escape when a tree fell just in front of their car.

2. ) count or uncount a way of helping yourself to stop thinking about an unpleasant situation you are in:

He used alcohol as a means of escape.

3. ) count an amount of gas or liquid that escapes from a container:

escape of: There was a rapid escape of gas.

4. ) count MAINLY JOURNALISM a vacation away from home

5. ) uncount COMPUTING the ESCAPE KEY on a computer:

Press escape to return to the main menu.