Give | Mean of give in English Dictionary

/ˈgɪv/

• Verb
• to cause or allow someone to have (something) as a present
1. She gave him a camera for Christmas.
2. Someone gave me a present. = Someone gave a present to me. = I was given a present. = A present was given (to) me.
3. Are you giving this to me or only lending it?
• to cause or allow (something valued or needed) to go to another person, group, etc.
1. She has given money to many worthy/good causes.
2. They're asking people to give money for a new hospital.
3. give blood
4. Please give to our charity.
5. We already gave at the office.
6. It is better to give than to receive.
• to put (something) into someone's hand
1. He picked up the letter and gave [=handed] it to me.
2. He gave me the letter.
3. He gave me a letter to mail for him. = He gave a letter to me to mail for him.
4. He gave her his coat to hold.

• to provide someone with (something wanted or needed)
1. She has given me a lot of help/support/encouragement. [=she has helped/supported/encouraged me a lot]
2. They gave me a job. [=they hired me]
3. He gave me a head start.
4. I'll give you a lift/ride to the station. [=I'll drive you to the station in my car]
5. I know I can do it if you'll just give me a chance.
6. They gave her another opportunity.
7. Her boss has given her a lot of responsibility/authority.
8. They gave him the best room available.
9. The law gives all citizens the right to vote. = The law gives the right to vote to all citizens.
• to allow someone to have or take (an amount of time)
1. Just give me a few more minutes and I'll be ready.
2. The doctor gave him two weeks to pay his bill.
• to treat or regard someone or something with (a particular attitude, feeling, etc.)
1. She gave her friend her complete confidence. = She gave her complete confidence to her friend. [=she trusted her friend completely]
2. He gave the company his loyalty. [=he was loyal to the company]
3. They've worked hard. You should give them some respect. [=you should respect them]
• to direct (something) toward someone
1. She gave him an angry look. [=she looked at him angrily]
2. He gave her a smile. [=he smiled at her]
• to tell (information) to someone
1. Just give me the facts.
2. They weren't able to give us the information we needed.
3. The witness was reluctant to give evidence.
4. He gave his name as “John Smith.” [=he said his name was “John Smith”]
5. The drawing gives [=shows] the dimensions of the room.
6. The book gives [=provides] a brief history of the industry.
• to express or say (something) to someone
1. You have no right to give me orders.
2. They gave him careful instructions on how to proceed.
3. Give them my regards. = Give my regards to them.
4. His parents gave him a lecture about the importance of studying.
5. The coach gave the team a pep talk.
6. I give you my word [=I swear; I promise], I knew nothing about their plans.
7. Just give it to me straight. [=just say what you are going to say to me in a direct way]
8. “It's not my fault that we're late.” “Don't give me that! You were the one who said we didn't have to leave early!”
• to show (something)
1. a young artist who has given evidence/signs of real talent
2. She gave (us) no hint/indication that she was upset or worried.
• to offer (something) for consideration or acceptance
1. He declined to give an opinion.
2. Can you give an example?
3. He gave no reason for his absence.
• to say that someone has or deserves (something)
1. He gives the credit for his success to his wife. [=he credits his wife for his success]
• to cause someone to have or experience (something, such as an emotion, a problem, etc.)
1. My car has been giving [=causing] me a lot of trouble lately.
2. I like Mexican food, but it gives me indigestion.
3. a book that gives pleasure to the reader
4. All that noise is giving me a headache. [=I'm getting a headache from all that noise]
5. It gave me a shock to see how sick he is.
6. Her encouragement gave me a lot of self-confidence. [=made me feel very self-confident]
• to cause someone to become affected by (something, such as an illness)
1. His sister gave him the measles. [=he got/caught the measles from his sister]
2. Hearing the joke gave him the giggles. [=hearing the joke made him giggle]
• to cause someone or something to have (a quality)
1. His quiet manner gives him a mysterious air.
2. The large windows give the room an open feeling.
• to cause something to be affected by (something)
1. He argues that the tax cuts would give a considerable stimulus/boost to the economy.
• to cause someone to get or take (a medicine)
1. The doctor gave the patient a pill.
2. The doctor gave him an injection.
3. The drug is usually given intravenously.
• to present (a show, speech, etc.) in public
1. give a concert/lecture/talk/speech/reading/performance
• to provide (something) as entertainment or as a social gathering
1. give [=throw] a party
2. give a formal dinner
• to do (an action)
1. She gave the door a push. [=she pushed the door]
2. He gave her a hug. [=he hugged her]
3. He gave a cynical smile. [=he smiled cynically]
4. She picked up the package and gave it a shake. [=she shook the package]
5. The referee gave [=made] the signal to start the game.
6. The ship gave a sudden lurch. [=the ship lurched suddenly]
• to cause someone to experience or suffer (a form of punishment)
1. His father gave the boy a whipping.
2. The judge gave him life (imprisonment) for murder.
• to cause someone to undergo or do (something)
1. The teacher gave the class a test.
• to make (something, such as your hand) available for someone
1. She gave [=offered] her hand to him to shake/kiss. = She gave him her hand to shake/kiss. [=she held out her hand toward him so that he could shake/kiss it]
2. She gave him her arm [=she linked her arm in his arm] and they walked together into the room.
• to say or judge that someone or something will last for (an amount of time)
1. The doctor gave him only a few weeks to live. [=the doctor said that he would live for only a few weeks]
2. Their marriage will never work. I give it/them six months—tops!
• to admit (something) to or about someone
1. He made an effort, I'll give him that (much). [=I'll admit that he made an effort]
2. I don't really like his movies, but he's a talented actor, I'll give you that. [=I admit that he is a talented actor]
• to have or produce (something) as a product, result, or effect
1. medical procedures that give better results
2. Cows give milk.
• to cause someone to believe or think (something)
1. They gave [=led] me to understand that they'd be arriving later.
2. Whatever gave you the idea (that) he loved you?! [=whatever made you think that he loved you?]
3. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. [=I'm sorry if I misled you; I'm sorry if you got the wrong impression from me]
4. I don't know what gave her the notion that she could treat people that way.
• to bend because of force, pressure, or strain
1. The branch gave [=sagged] under his weight, but it didn't break.
• to break because of force, pressure, or strain
1. The branch suddenly gave [=gave way] under his weight, and he fell to the ground.
• to stop trying to resist or oppose something
1. Both sides refuse to give [=refuse to accept or agree to the demands of the other side] in this dispute.
2. For the strike to be settled, something has (got) to give! [=one side or the other has to give in]
• to be as forceful in fighting or arguing against others as they are in fighting or arguing against you
1. She can give as good as she gets in an argument with just about anybody.
• to make a present of (something)
1. For a limited time only our store is giving away [=giving] a free can of soda to each and every one of our customers!
2. Our prices are so cheap we're practically giving away everything in our store!
• to lose (something) in a careless way
1. He virtually gave the election away when he made a racist remark.
2. The pitcher gave the game away by walking four batters in a row.
• to allow (something hidden or secret) to become known
1. The way she looked at him gave away her real feelings for him.
2. Please don't give away [=reveal] how the trick is done.
• to bring (the bride) to the groom at a wedding
1. Traditionally, it's the father of the bride who gives his daughter away at the wedding.
• to reveal the truth about (someone)
1. His fellow conspirators gave him away to the police. [=they betrayed him to the police]
2. His accent gave him away as a northerner. [=his accent showed that he was a northerner]
• to cause someone to have (something) again
1. He gave back the money he found to the person who'd lost it.
2. Her encouragement helped to give me back my self-confidence. [=her encouragement helped me to get my self-confidence back]
3. They agreed to give him his old job back.
• to stop trying to fight or resist something
1. The strike has been going on for weeks, and neither side seems willing to give in.
2. He refused to give in to their demands. [=he refused to do what they demanded that he do]
• to give (something) to a person who has authority to review or accept it
1. give in [=(US) hand in] an assignment
• to use your time and effort to help others
1. They freely gave of their time when their help was needed.
• to send (light, energy, etc.) out from a source
1. The telescope can detect light given off [=emitted] by distant galaxies.
2. The garbage gave off an unpleasant smell.
3. The chimneys gave off thick, black smoke.
• to provide a view of or a passage to (something)
1. The door gives directly on to the garden.
2. The rooms give onto a hall.
• to stop working
1. The plane's engine sputtered and gave out, forcing an emergency landing.
2. His voice gave out. [=he was unable to talk]
3. His courage finally gave out. [=he lost his courage]
• to become used up
1. Our supply of fuel had almost given out [=run out] entirely.
• to produce (noise, light, etc.)
1. The brakes gave out a loud squeal.
2. The woodstove gives out a lot of heat.
• to give (something) to many people
1. They gave out copies of the newsletter.
2. He's always giving out unwanted advice.
• to stop doing something that is annoying or unpleasant
1. Oh, give over! I'm tired of your complaints!
2. They eventually gave over bothering me [=stopped bothering me] and let me alone.
• to give (something) to (someone) to have, use, do, etc.
1. She has given most of her work over to her assistant.
• to allow (yourself) to be fully affected by, controlled by, or involved in (something)
1. He gave himself over to despair. [=he was overcome by despair]
2. She gave herself over completely to her work. [=she devoted all of her attention and energy to her work]
• to stop an activity or effort
1. He vowed that he would never give up.
2. I give up! I don't know what more I can do to please my girlfriend!
3. “How many prime numbers are there between 1 and 100? Well, do you give up?” “OK, I give up!”
• to stop having, doing, or using (something)
1. He was forced to give up his job.
2. She refused to give up trying.
3. My doctor urged me to give up smoking/cigarettes.
4. Rescuers have not yet given up hope that more survivors will be found.
5. He gave up his seat to an elderly woman. [=he got out of his seat so that an elderly woman could sit there]
• to stop trying to do (something)
1. We did our best to repair the engine, but in the end we had to give it up as impossible.
• to allow (a score, a hit, etc.) by an opposing team or player
1. The defense gave up two touchdowns in the first quarter.
2. The pitcher didn't give up a hit till the ninth inning.
• to surrender (yourself) as a prisoner
1. The fugitive eventually gave himself up (to the police/authorities).
• to stop trying to improve the condition of (someone) because it seems hopeless
1. The teacher gave him up as a hopeless case.
2. The doctors gave him up for dead. [=the doctors said that he was certain to die]
• to stop having hope of seeing (someone)
1. We'd given you up (for lost) hours ago!
• to stop trying to improve the condition of (someone)
1. He has gotten in trouble many times, but his parents have never given up on him.
2. Please don't give up on me. I promise I'll do better.
• to stop trying to do or achieve (something)
1. They have given up on their plan to build a new factory.
2. She hasn't given up on trying to convince her husband to buy a new car.
• Noun
• the ability of a material to bend or stretch
1. This fabric has a lot of give. [=this fabric is very flexible]