give  ( gives 3rd person present) ( giving present participle) ( gave past tense) ( given past participle ) (OTHER USES, PHRASES, AND PHRASAL VERBS)
Please look at category 7 to see if the expression you are looking for is shown under another headword.
1 verb If something gives, it collapses or breaks under pressure.
My knees gave under me. V
2 v-passive You say that you are givento understand or believe that something is the case when you do not want to say how you found out about it, or who told you.
FORMAL, vagueness We were given to understand that he was ill... be V-ed to-inf
4 You use give me to say that you would rather have one thing than another, especially when you have just mentioned the thing that you do not want.
give me phrase PHR n
I've never had anything barbecued and I don't want it. Give me a good roast dinner any day.
5 If you say that something requires give and take, you mean that people must compromise or co-operate for it to be successful.
give and take phrase
...a happy relationship where there's a lot of give and take.
6 Give or take is used to indicate that an amount is approximate. For example, if you say that something is fifty years old, give or take a few years, you mean that it is approximately fifty years old.
give or take phrase PHR amount
They grow to a height of 12 ins<endash>give or take a couple of inches.
to give the game away
to give notice
to give rise to
to give way
way give away
1 phrasal verb If you give away something that you own, you give it to someone, rather than selling it, often because you no longer want it., (Antonym: keep)
He was giving his collection away for nothing... V n P
We have six copies of the book to give away. V P n (not pron)
2 phrasal verb If someone gives away an advantage, they accidentally cause their opponent or enemy to have that advantage.
We gave away a silly goal... V P n (not pron), Also V n P
3 phrasal verb If you give away information that should be kept secret, you reveal it to other people.
She would give nothing away... V n P
They felt like they were giving away company secrets. V P n (not pron)
4 phrasal verb To give someone or something away means to show their true nature or identity, which is not obvious.
Although they are pretending hard to be young, grey hair and cellulite give them away... V n P
5 phrasal verb In a Christian wedding ceremony, if someone gives the bride away, they officially present her to her husband. This is traditionally done by the bride's father.
V n P give back phrasal verb If you give something back, you return it to the person who gave it to you.
I gave the textbook back to him... V n P to n
You gave me back the projector... V n P n (not pron)
I gave it back politely. V n P give in
1 phrasal verb If you give in, you admit that you are defeated or that you cannot do something.
All right. I give in. What did you do with the ship? V P
2 phrasal verb If you give in, you agree to do something that you do not want to do.
I pressed my parents until they finally gave in and registered me for skating classes... V P
Officials say they won't give in to the workers' demands. V P to n give off , give out phrasal verb If something gives off or gives out a gas, heat, or a smell, it produces it and sends it out into the air.
...natural gas, which gives off less carbon dioxide than coal... V P n (not pron) give out
1 phrasal verb If you give out a number of things, you distribute them among a group of people.
There were people at the entrance giving out leaflets. V P n (not pron), Also V n P
2 phrasal verb If you give out information, you make it known to people.
He wouldn't give out any information... V P n (not pron)
How often do you give your phone number out? V n P
3 phrasal verb If a piece of equipment or part of the body gives out, it stops working.
All machines give out eventually... V P
One of his lungs gave out entirely. V P
give off give over to , give up to phrasal verb If something is given over or given up to a particular use, it is used entirely for that purpose.
Much of the garden was given over to vegetables... be V-ed P P n give up
1 phrasal verb If you give up something, you stop doing it or having it.
Coastguards had given up all hope of finding the two divers alive. V P n/-ing
...smokers who give up before 30. V P
2 phrasal verb If you give up, you decide that you cannot do something and stop trying to do it.
After a fruitless morning sitting at his desk he had given up. V P
3 phrasal verb If you give up your job, you resign from it.
She gave up her job to join her husband's campaign... V P n/-ing (not pron)
He is thinking of giving up teaching. V P n/-ing (not pron)
4 phrasal verb If you give up something that you have or that you are entitled to, you allow someone else to have it.
Georgia refuses to give up any territory... V P n (not pron)
One of the men with him gave up his place on the bench. V P n (not pron)
5 phrasal verb If you giveyourselfup, you let the police or other people know where you are, after you have been hiding from them.
A 28-year-old man later gave himself up and will appear in court today. V pron-refl P give up on phrasal verb If you give up on something or someone, you decide that you will never succeed in doing what you want to with them, and you stop trying to.
He urged them not to give up on peace efforts... V P P n
My teachers gave up on me. V P P n give up to
give over to