give

/gɪv/
/gɪv/
IPA guide

Other forms: gave; given; giving; gives

When you give something, you hand over possession to someone else. Give can also be a noun; a material that has give has the ability to stretch.

Just as you can take many things, so can you give many things. You can give a gift, give a party, or give your car keys to friend, but just temporarily. If you give someone a chance, you let them have an opportunity. If you give your word, you make a promise. If give your hand, you marry — or at least hold hands. You can also give by communicating or passing something on — like your regards, or a cold.

Definitions of give
  1. verb
    transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody
    “I gave her my money”
    “can you give me lessons?”
    “She gave the children lots of love and tender loving care”
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    antonyms:
    take
    take into one's possession
    types:
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    cater, ply, provide, supply
    give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance
    cough up, pony up, spit up
    give reluctantly
    lease, let, rent
    grant use or occupation of under a term of contract
    support
    support materially or financially
    pay
    give money, usually in exchange for goods or services
    accord, allot, grant
    allow to have
    allow, grant
    let have
    present, submit
    hand over formally
    bestow
    give as a gift
    heap
    bestow in large quantities
    administer, allot, deal, deal out, dish out, dispense, distribute, dole, dole out, lot, mete, mete out, parcel out, shell out
    administer or bestow, as in small portions
    offer, proffer
    present for acceptance or rejection
    chip in, contribute, kick in
    contribute to some cause
    render, return
    give back
    bank, deposit
    put into a bank account
    cede, concede, grant, yield
    give over; surrender or relinquish to the physical control of another
    lend, loan
    give temporarily; let have for a limited time
    furnish, provide, render, supply
    give something useful or necessary to
    repay, requite
    make repayment for or return something
    dispense with, give up, part with, spare
    give up what is not strictly needed
    vest
    place (authority, property, or rights) in the control of a person or group of persons
    enfeoff
    put in possession of land in exchange for a pledge of service, in feudal society
    hydrate
    supply water or liquid to in order to maintain a healthy balance
    charge
    energize a battery by passing a current through it in the direction opposite to discharge
    date
    provide with a dateline; mark with a date
    staff
    provide with staff
    drench
    force to drink
    regale, treat
    provide with choice or abundant food or drink
    board
    provide food and lodging (for)
    feed
    give food to
    feed
    serve as food for; be the food for
    dish, dish out, dish up, serve, serve up
    provide (usually but not necessarily food)
    cater
    supply food ready to eat; for parties and banquets
    feed
    feed into; supply
    help, serve
    help to some food; help with food or drink
    power
    supply the force or power for the functioning of
    feed
    provide as food
    gratify, indulge, pander
    yield (to); give satisfaction to
    underlay
    provide with a base, support, lining, or backing
    fill, fulfil, fulfill, meet, satisfy
    fill or meet a want or need
    horse
    provide with a horse or horses
    shower
    provide abundantly with
    accommodate
    provide with something desired or needed
    nourish, nurture, sustain
    provide with nourishment
    fix up
    find (something or someone) for
    gutter
    provide with gutters
    calk
    provide with calks
    sublease, sublet
    lease or rent all or part of (a leased or rented property) to another person
    farm out, hire out, rent out
    grant the services of or the temporary use of, for a fee
    fund
    furnish money for
    fund
    provide a fund for the redemption of principal or payment of interest
    subsidise, subsidize
    support through subsidies
    subsidise, subsidize
    secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy, as of nations or military forces
    finance
    obtain or provide money for
    bring home the bacon, provide
    supply means of subsistence; earn a living
    see through
    support financially through a period of time
    patronise, patronize, sponsor
    assume sponsorship of
    scant, skimp, stint
    supply sparingly and with restricted quantities
    terrace, terrasse
    provide (a house) with a terrace
    dado
    provide with a dado
    innervate
    supply nerves to (some organ or body part)
    allot, assign, portion
    give out
    reallot
    allot again
    contribute, put up
    provide
    deal
    distribute cards to the players in a game
    compensate, recompense, remunerate
    make payment to; compensate
    overpay
    pay too much
    underpay
    pay too little
    prepay
    pay for something before receiving it
    go Dutch
    share expenses equally and split the cost of something
    compensate, indemnify, recompense, repair
    make amends for; pay compensation for
    tithe
    pay a tenth of one's income, especially to the church
    remit
    send (money) in payment
    vouchsafe
    grant in a condescending manner
    allowance
    put on a fixed allowance, as of food
    pay off, redeem
    pay off (loans or promissory notes)
    bring in
    submit (a verdict) to a court
    trust
    extend credit to
    drop, expend, spend
    pay out
    advance
    pay in advance
    bribe, buy, corrupt, grease one's palms
    make illegal payments to in exchange for favors or influence
    give back, refund, repay, return
    pay back
    foot, pick
    pay for something
    tender
    make a tender of; in legal settlements
    offer
    make available or accessible, provide or furnish
    signalise, signalize
    provide with traffic signals
    extend, offer
    make available; provide
    disburse, pay out
    expend, as from a fund
    combine
    add together from different sources
    apply
    give or convey physically
    feed back, resubmit
    submit (information) again to a program or automatic system
    redeposit
    deposit once again
    charge
    pay with a credit card; pay with plastic money; postpone payment by recording a purchase as a debt
    pay cash
    pay (for something) with cash
    stock
    provide or furnish with a stock of something
    buy in, stock, stock up
    amass so as to keep for future use or sale or for a particular occasion or use
    caption
    provide with a caption, as of a photograph or a drawing
    tube
    provide with a tube or insert a tube into
    ticket
    provide with a ticket for passage or admission
    stock
    supply with livestock
    stock
    supply with fish
    rim
    furnish with a rim
    fret
    provide (a musical instrument) with frets
    step
    furnish with steps
    rail
    provide with rails
    grate
    furnish with a grate
    capitalise, capitalize
    supply with capital, as of a business by using a combination of capital used by investors and debt capital provided by lenders
    alphabetise, alphabetize
    provide with an alphabet
    wharf
    provide with a wharf
    air-condition, air-cool
    equip with an apparatus for controlling the humidity and temperature
    uniform
    provide with uniforms
    railroad
    supply with railroad lines
    partner
    provide with a partner
    bewhisker, whisker
    furnish with whiskers
    subtitle
    supply (a movie) with subtitles
    headline
    provide (a newspaper page or a story) with a headline
    match
    provide funds complementary to
    hobnail
    supply with hobnails
    wive
    provide with a wife; marry (someone) to a wife
    victual
    supply with food
    cloy, surfeit
    supply or feed to the point of fullness
    heat
    provide with heat
    seat
    provide with seats
    seat
    put a seat on a chair
    ramp
    furnish with a ramp
    arm
    supply with arms
    interleave
    provide (books) with blank leaves
    glass, glaze
    furnish with glass
    crenel, crenelate, crenellate
    supply with battlements
    causeway
    provide with a causeway
    canal, canalise, canalize
    provide (a city) with a canal
    bush
    provide with a bushing
    brattice
    supply with a brattice, to ventilate mines
    furnish
    provide or equip with furniture
    slat
    equip or bar with slats
    berth
    provide with a berth
    bed
    furnish with a bed
    computerise, computerize
    provide with computers
    costume
    furnish with costumes; as for a film or play
    bottom
    provide with a bottom or a seat
    rafter
    provide (a ceiling) with rafters