give away
Britishverb
-
to donate or bestow as a gift, prize, etc
-
to sell very cheaply
-
to reveal or betray (esp in the phrases give the game or show away )
-
to fail to use (an opportunity) through folly or neglect
-
to present (a bride) formally to her husband in a marriage ceremony
-
informal to give up or abandon (something)
noun
-
a betrayal or disclosure of information, esp when unintentional
-
something given, esp with articles on sale, at little or no charge to increase sales, attract publicity, etc
-
journalism another name for freesheet
-
a radio or television programme characterized by the award of money and prizes
-
(modifier)
-
very cheap (esp in the phrase giveaway prices )
-
free of charge
a giveaway property magazine
-
-
Make a gift of, bestow, as in I decided to give away all my plants . [c. 1400]
-
Present a bride to the groom in a marriage ceremony, as in Her father gave Karen away . [c. 1700]
-
Reveal or make something known, often unintentionally; also, betray or expose someone. For example, She gave away her true feelings , or He gave away his accomplices . This idiom is sometimes put as give oneself away , as in If you don't want the family to know about your gambling, don't give yourself away by spending your winnings . [Late 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Not to give away any spoilers, but this is the ultimate lesson in Goldie’s new book, “The Retirement Answer,” and it is the culmination of six key decisions he walks readers through.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
The oaks they give away are about 6 inches tall with six leaves, plus a whole foot of roots.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The goal they conceded just before the break was the type of goal that poor sides give away.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
So you’re saying I should give away all my money?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
By night the rustling leaves would give away anyone trying to steal up to their camp in silence.
From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
