partake
Americanverb (used without object)
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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)
verb
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(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
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was partakingprogressive
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were partakingprogressive
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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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Mythology
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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:
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
The legend says that the practice brings good fortune and a return visit to those who partake in it, but it had also resulted in a small crater forming on the spot.
From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026
Between blocks of talks, attendees partake in activities from the glacier show-and-tell to an iNaturalist BioBlitz in Stanley Park to a field trip to the local Renaissance faire.
From Slate ● May 8, 2026
And unlike nicotine, doctors sometimes recommend it, “so why should it be bad then?” added Trimua, who says he doesn’t partake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
If you said that, it showed you recognized these qualities but did not partake of them yourself.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
The new movie partakes of that same sense of damage, regret and reconciliation.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2022
“Unleashed” partakes in some of these themes and transformations, though their engine is a multivalent form of grief.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 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
Literature, and especially poetry, as I have already pointed out, partakes of the character of both painting and music.
From Goblins and Pagodas by Fletcher, John Gould
More than 350 bidders partook in the auction, Bonhams said in a release.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 12, 2025
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
Could you tell me a bit about the Manresa pop-up you recently partook in?
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2024
Some already experienced Kraken training camp a year ago while all partook in the July development camp.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 17, 2023
The horse partook of the jockey’s cunning; the jockey partook of the horse’s supreme power.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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
She has partaken in the initiation ritual of a seemingly terrifying role-playing game where users — mostly young people — experience bizarre supernatural symptoms.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2022
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
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
The recent fourth season of “Mormon Wives” revisits the crossover, with some of the women’s spouses partaking in their own “Villa” getaway that fuels more drama, including between Mortensen and Paul.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 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
Definitions 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.
