give

give1 [ gıv ] (past tense gave [ geıv ] ; past participle giv|en [ `gıvn ] ) verb ***

▸ 1 provide someone with something

▸ 2 make someone owner of something

▸ 3 put medicine in someone

▸ 4 cause effect/experience

▸ 5 communicate

▸ 6 perform action

▸ 7 allow someone to do something

▸ 8 pass illness to someone else

▸ 9 pay money

▸ 10 stretch/bend/break

▸ 11 change decision

▸ 12 use all time/energy

▸ + PHRASES

1. ) transitive to put something in someone's hand or pass something to someone:

give someone something: Could you give me that pen?

give something to someone: She gave the flowers to me to hold.

a ) transitive to let someone have or keep something as a present:

give someone something: We don't know what to give Dad for Christmas.

b ) intransitive or transitive to do something good or helpful for someone:

a relationship where one partner gives more than the other

Aid will be given to areas hardest hit by the flooding.

give someone help/support/encouragement: Thanks for all the support you've given us.

2. ) transitive to make someone the owner of something that you owned:

give someone something: Will the new tax laws make people give the government more of their property?

give something to someone: There are tax advantages if you give the house to your children.

3. ) transitive to put medicine into someone's body using a particular method:

Can't you give her anything for the pain?

The drug is normally given by injection.

4. ) transitive to cause a general result or effect:

The motor oil gives good performance in all weather conditions.

The removal of trade restrictions could give the economy a substantial boost.

a ) to make someone feel or experience something:

give someone something: These stories have given people enormous pleasure over the years.

The results gave us a distinct shock.

give someone trouble/problems/grief: Since we replaced the clutch, the car has given us no trouble at all.

b ) to make something look, taste, smell, sound, or feel a particular way:

Some laundry detergents give cotton a softer feel.

c ) to make someone think or believe something:

give someone the idea/impression (that): She gave us the distinct impression that the work was nearly finished.

be given to understand/believe something: FORMAL The hotel isn't as luxurious as we were given to understand in the brochure.

5. ) transitive to show or communicate information:

If you see him, will you give him a message from me?

They gave me all the instructions over the phone.

The answers are given on page 100.

a ) to perform an action to someone or something:

give someone something: I gave him a hug before I left.

We need to give the dog a bath this weekend.

give someone a call (=to phone someone): I'll give you a call on Sunday.

b ) used about a speech, talk, etc:

Someone from the university will give a talk on the future of education.

c ) to attempt to do something:

give something a try/shot: I'd never ridden a horse before, but I was prepared to give it a try.

d ) to spend time thinking about something before you make a decision or judgment about it:

give something thought/attention/consideration: We'll give your suggestions some thought and let you know what we decide.

6. ) transitive to perform a particular action:

give a laugh/smile: She gave a short, mirthless laugh.

7. ) transitive to allow someone to take action:

Permission to build on the site had to be given by the zoning board.

a ) to allow someone to do something before other people:

give preference/priority to someone: When selecting applicants, priority is usually given to those with experience.

b ) to allow someone a limited time to do something:

give someone something: They have given us six months to develop a new billing system.

8. ) transitive to pass an illness or disease to another person:

give someone something: She gave the whole office the flu.

give something to someone: You could easily give the disease to your partner.

9. ) transitive SPOKEN to pay money for something:

How much did they give you for your old car?

give someone something: Martin gave me $500 for my computer.

a ) intransitive or transitive to pay money to CHARITY (=organizations that help people):

We didn't give at all last year.

give something to someone: We prefer to give our money to local causes.

b ) transitive to provide a large amount of money, for example a LOAN or a GRANT:

give something to someone: The Small Business Association gives loans to new businesses.

10. ) intransitive if something gives, it stretches, bends, or moves:

The bridge has to be able to give a little in the wind.

1

a ) if something that supports or holds something gives, it breaks:

The floor of the platform might give if too many people walk on it.

11. ) intransitive if someone gives, they agree to change a decision, opinion, or intention:

I tried to get my husband to come with me, but he wouldn't give.

12. ) transitive if you give yourself to something, you use all your time and energy to do it:

They expect you to give yourself to the job completely.

1

a ) OLD-FASHIONED if you give yourself to someone, you have sex with them

don't give me that SPOKEN

used for telling someone you do not believe or like what they are saying

give as good as you get INFORMAL

to compete or fight as hard as your opponent

give someone/something a chance

used for telling someone not to make a judgment about someone or something too quickly

give something a day/month/year etc.

used for saying how long you think something will last:

Nobody gave the marriage more than a few months.

give it to someone straight SPOKEN

used for telling someone not to hide unpleasant facts from someone

give me something SPOKEN

used for saying what you like or prefer:

Just give me a glass of Scotch and a good book and I'm a happy man.

give or take

used for talking about numbers or quantities that are not exact:

Each talk lasts half an hour, give or take five minutes.

I give you someone FORMAL

used in a formal speech for introducing someone or for asking people to show their approval by APPLAUDING (=hitting their hands together)

I'll give you that SPOKEN

used for saying you accept that part of what someone has said is true, but not all of it:

Oh, he's charming enough, I'll give you that, but I wouldn't trust him an inch.

I would give my right arm/my eye teeth for something or I would give anything for something

used for saying that you would very much like to have something:

I would give anything for a trip to Maui right now.

what gives? SPOKEN

used for asking what is happening in a situation

=> FINGER1, WAY1

,give a`way phrasal verb transitive

1. ) to tell information or facts that you should keep secret:

If captured, they might give away vital military secrets.

a ) to show an emotion or quality that you are trying to hide:

Her face gave nothing away.

2. ) to provide someone with something you no longer want or need:

Any plants that were left I gave away to neighbors.

a ) if a company gives something away, they let you have it without paying for it:

Ten thousand copies of the software package are being given away.

3. ) in sports, to allow an opponent to win because you make a silly mistake:

They gave away two runs in the first half.

4. ) if a man gives a woman away on her wedding day, he leads her toward the man she is going to marry

,give `back phrasal verb transitive

1. ) to give someone something they owned or had before:

The company had to give back all the money customers had paid.

give someone back something: We just want them to give us back our home.

2. ) to allow someone to feel an emotion again that they had stopped feeling:

give someone back something: A win today could give her back her confidence.

,give `in phrasal verb intransitive

1. ) to stop competing or arguing and accept that you cannot win:

The champion refused to give in and went on to win the set.

give in to: The government has said all along that it will never give in to terrorist threats.

2. ) if you give in to something, you can no longer control the feeling of wanting it:

give in to: She had to struggle hard not to give in to a desire to laugh.

`give of phrasal verb transitive FORMAL

give of something if you give of yourself or your time, you do helpful things for people

,give `off phrasal verb transitive

give off something to produce something such as heat or a smell:

When they die, plants give off gases such as carbon dioxide and methane.

`give onto phrasal verb transitive

give onto something if something such as a door or window gives onto a place, it leads to that place or you can see through it to that place

,give `out phrasal verb

1. ) transitive to give something to several people:

The office gives out financial advice to students who ask for it.

2. ) intransitive if something such as a machine or a part of your body gives out, it stops working:

His heart finally gave out under the strain.

3. ) intransitive if a supply of something has given out, all of it has been used:

Their water gave out two days ago.

4. ) transitive give out something to produce something such as a sound or light:

The quietest devices give out only a low, almost inaudible hum.

,give `over to phrasal verb transitive

1. ) usually passive FORMAL to use something for a particular purpose:

The major part of the garden was given over to growing vegetables.

2. ) if you give something over to someone, it becomes theirs

,give `up phrasal verb

1. ) transitive to stop doing something you do regularly:

His wife finally persuaded him to give up smoking.

Giving up his job was the last thing we expected him to do.

a ) transitive to stop thinking or believing something:

It was a difficult time, but we never gave up hope.

give up the idea of something (=to no longer want to do something): He had given up the idea of marriage altogether.

b ) intransitive or transitive to stop doing something you are trying hard to do:

We've given up trying to persuade them to change.

Decide what you want and then don't give up until you've achieved it.

2. ) transitive to allow someone to have something that was yours:

The new arrangement would mean giving up some of their political independence.

give up to: They agreed to give half their office up to the temporary staff.

a ) to use your time for one activity instead of another:

Taking this course will mean giving up a lot of my spare time.

3. ) transitive if you give yourself up, you allow yourself to be arrested by the police

4. ) transitive if you give something up as lost, you believe that you will not find it and you stop looking for it:

give someone up for dead: The men who were still in the boat had given him up for dead.

,give `up on phrasal verb transitive give up on someone

1. ) to stop hoping that someone will improve and stop trying to help or change them:

Most of the teachers gave up on her years ago.

2. ) to stop hoping that you will find someone alive and stop looking for them

,give `up to phrasal verb transitive

give yourself up to something to let yourself feel or show an emotion that you would normally not feel or show

give

give 2 [ gıv ] noun uncount

the tendency to bend or stretch:

For shoes to be comfortable, there needs to be plenty of give in the leather.

give and take INFORMAL

if there is give and take between people, each person allows the other to get something that they want