away

American  

[uh-wey] / əˈweɪ /

adverb

1. from this or that place; off.

   to go away.

2. aside; to another place; in another direction.

   to turn your eyes away; to turn away customers

3. far; apart.

   away back; away from the subject.

4. out of one's possession or use.

   to give money away.

5. out of existence or notice; into extinction.

   to fade away; to idle away the morning.

6. incessantly or relentlessly; repeatedly.

   He kept hammering away.

7. without hesitation.

   Fire away.

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adjective

1. absent; gone.

   to be away from home.

2. distant.

   six miles away.

3. immediately off and on the way.

   The order was given and he was away.

4. Sports. played in a ball park, arena, or the like, other than the one that is or is assumed to be the center of operations of a team.

   winners in their last three away games.

5. Baseball. having been put out.

   with two away in the top of the seventh.

6. Golf.

   1. (of a golf ball) lying farthest from the hole.

   2. (of a golfer) having hit such a ball and being required to play first.

verb phrase

1. do away with

   1. to get rid of; abolish; stop.

   2. to kill.

      Bluebeard did away with all his wives.

idioms

1. where away? (of something sighted from a ship) in which direction? where?

2. away with,

   1. take away.

      Away with him!

   2. go away! leave!.

      Away with you!

away British  

/ əˈweɪ /

adverb

1. from a particular place; off

   to swim away

2. in or to another, usual, or proper place

   to put toys away

3. apart; at a distance

   to keep away from strangers

4. out of existence

   the music faded away

5. indicating motion, displacement, transfer, etc, from a normal or proper place, from a person's own possession, etc

   to turn one's head away

   to give away money

6. indicating activity that is wasteful or designed to get rid of something

   to sleep away the hours

7. continuously

   laughing away

   fire away

8. a command for a person to go or be removed

   away with you

   away with him to prison!

9. by a very great margin

   far and away the biggest meal he'd ever eaten

10. from a part of Canada other than Newfoundland

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adjective

1. not present

   away from school

2. distant

   he is a good way away

3. having started; released

   he was away before sunrise

   bombs away!

4. (also prenominal) sport played on an opponent's ground

   an away game

5. golf (of a ball or player) farthest from the hole

6. baseball (of a player) having been put out

7. horse racing relating to the outward portion or first half of a race

noun

1. sport a game played or won at an opponent's ground

interjection

1. an expression of dismissal

away More Idioms  

1. see back away; bang away; blow away; break away; by far (and away); carry away; cart off (away); cast away; clear out (away); die away; do away with; draw away; eat away; explain away; fade out (away); fall away; fire away; fool away; fritter away; get away; get away with; give away; go away; hammer away; lay aside (away); make away with; out and away; pass away; peg away at; piss away; plug away at; pull away; put away; right away; run away; run away with; salt away; send away; shy away from; slink away; slip out (away); sock away; spirit away; square away; squirrel away; stow away; take away from; take one's breath away; tear away; throw away; tuck away; turn away; walk away from; walk off (away) with; waste away; wear off (away); whale away; when the cat's away; while away.

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Etymology

Origin of away

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English aweg, reduction of on weg; equivalent to a- ¹ + way ¹

Explanation

When something is away it’s not here or even nearby — it’s at a distance, like a friend who is on vacation in another country. The word away describes something distant or removed from where you are. For example, when a sports team plays in another city or stadium outside of their hometown, it's called an "away game." Similarly, an item tossed in the trash is “thrown away.” The word also describes emotional distance, like when someone “drifts away” over time, meaning they aren't as close as they used to be in a relationship.

Example Sentences

It was only when samples arrived at the biomedical research laboratory in the capital Kinshasa -- nearly 1,800 kilometres away as the crow flies -- that the Ebola outbreak was confirmed.

From Barron's • May 24, 2026

The plans include a large wharf with a staging area for the turbine components, plus a “wet storage” area for the assembled units in the water waiting to be towed away, among other elements.

From Los Angeles Times • May 24, 2026

But only hours before the scheduled ceremony, he announced he was postponing the executive order because he did not want to take away America’s competitive advantage over China and other countries.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

Katy Davidson, 49, from Cornwall arrived in London in a grey tracksuit which she said she was made to wear after their belongings were thrown away.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

“Mary,” she says, pulling me away from the stage.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Related Words

• abroad
• absent
• aside
• distant
• elsewhere
• off
• over