partake
Americanverb (used without object)
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partakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
partook,
past
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partaken,
past participle
-
partaking
present participle
-
to take or have a part or share along with others; participate (usually followed byin ).
He won't partake in the victory celebration.
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to receive, take, or have a share or portion (usually followed byof ).
to partake of a meal.
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to have something of the nature or character (usually followed byof ).
feelings partaking of both joy and regret.
verb (used with object)
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partakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
partook,
past
-
partaken,
past participle
-
partaking
present participle
verb
-
(foll by in) to have a share; participate
to partake in the excitement
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(foll by of) to take or receive a portion, esp of food or drink
each partook of the food offered to him
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(foll by of) to suggest or have some of the quality (of)
music partaking of sadness
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archaic (tr) to share in
Usage
Partake of is sometimes wrongly used as if it were a synonym of eat or drink. Correctly, one can only partake of food or drink which is available for several people to share
Synonym Usage
See share 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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partakernoun
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prepartakeverb (used without object)
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partakableadjective
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unpartakenadjective
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unpartakingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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partakesimple
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partakessimple
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have partakenperfect
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has partakenperfect
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am partakingprogressive
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are partakingprogressive
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is partakingprogressive
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have been partakingperfect progressive
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has been partakingperfect progressive
Past
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partooksimple
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had partakenperfect
-
was partakingprogressive
-
were partakingprogressive
-
had been partakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of partake
First recorded in 1555–65; back formation from partaking, Middle English part taking, translation of Latin participātiō “taking part”; see participation
Explanation
When you partake in something, you join in, like when you partake in the three-legged race and bobbing for apples at your town fall festival. The verb partake is almost always followed by the word in, and used in a somewhat formal context. You partake in whatever activities you participate — or take part — in, like when you partake in a backyard football game or partake in your family's holiday cookie making party. If you get a share of something, you also partake of it, like when you partake of the delicious buffet at your cousin's wedding.
Vocabulary lists containing partake
Twelfth Night
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"Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte, Chapters 1–5
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The Birchbark House
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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.
See Examples For:
Wealthier consumers continue to partake in what some Fed officials this year have called “unapologetic luxury,” driving up prices for jewelry, watches and other items in the process.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
Men would also scroll YouTube videos, partake in online sports betting and convince women on the outside to date them, sometimes seemingly to get those women to wire money into their commissary accounts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
West Virginia adopted the nation’s first program to make those funds universally available in 2021 and today, 18 states are inviting any student to partake, regardless of family income or existing private school enrollment.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
And like Cretton, I partake in something that is more of a performance than a conversation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
I vowed then that I would never partake in badal.
From "Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World" by Malala Yousafzai
She partakes of birding to be near him and attract his sympathetic interest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2023
The new movie partakes of that same sense of damage, regret and reconciliation.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2022
The latest research adds on to exciting global research around dogs and language, like the study Bunny the Talking Dog partakes in, as Salon has previously reported.
From Salon ● Jan. 11, 2022
Then, in a scene that borders on the surreal, Anna partakes in a ritual that releases her from the past, resulting in a kind of rebirth.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 7, 2021
He that with you partakes command, The nation's hope, great Ferdinand, Attends, indeed, to my request, But wants no empires in the west.
From The Poems of Philip Freneau, Volume I (of III) by Philip Freneau
The question hung over October’s Yale Family Weekend, as parents partook of cherished traditions like performances by the Yale Glee Club, lectures by distinguished faculty and tours of the neo-Gothic-style campus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2025
About six months after I partook in the production, there are moments I’ll catch myself thinking about the show and the choice I was presented with.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2025
On Thursday, Eberle partook in perhaps his final Kraken practice.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
When asked by Henley to return his stolen property, the defendants failed to comply and instead, partook in a lengthy campaign to prevent Henley from recovering the notes.
From Salon ● Feb. 21, 2024
The rope received the flame greedily; the transports of greed were succeeded by the profligacy of utmost generosity; and soon the whole store partook.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
Even the director, Joe Mantello, has partaken, putting on his actor’s cap to play a reporter in “American Horror Story: NYC.”
From New York Times ● May 17, 2023
It’ll provide him a chance to enjoy a perk that he’s rarely partaken in since winning the Masters.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 5, 2022
Those who have been to a festival in the last three decades, be it Coachella, Stagecoach, Bonnaroo or Woodstock ’99, have partaken in festival seating.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2021
Congratulations: You’ve just partaken in one of the oldest traditions in software.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2019
She had partaken of the arts—road companies of plays and even operas, with their magic and promise of an aromatic world outside.
From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck
They’re styling their homes with pumpkin decor and cozy blankets, showing off fall outfits and partaking in fall drink menus at coffee shops.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Unbeknownst to us, we were also partaking in a sort of quiet rebellion, indulging in something that’s not neatly defined as cold-weather cuisine.
From Salon ● Feb. 7, 2026
During her dream bridal shower, Williams and her friends munched on Asian food before partaking in a lip-synch battle.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 29, 2025
Even investors who aren’t partaking in the selling should pay attention to big losers.
From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025
Now, to our right are dozens of families, migrating in droves—as if they’re all partaking in some kind of divine pilgrimage.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
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