Meaning & Definition of word "Give"

Give

/ɡɪv/

noun:

  • 1. The act of giving; a gift.
    • Example: Her give for his birthday was a handmade sweater.

verb:

  • 1. To present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; to hand over.
    • Example: She decided to give her old books to the local library.
  • 2. To cause or allow to have; to provide.
    • Example: Please give me a chance to prove myself.
  • 3. To deliver a speech or presentation.
    • Example: He will give a talk about his research findings.
  • 4. To yield or concede; to admit.
    • Example: After much debate, she was willing to give in to his request.

Etymology

Old English 'giefan', related to Dutch 'geven' and German 'geben'.

Common Phrases and Expressions

give and take:

A mutual exchange of ideas or resources.

give it your best shot:

To try as hard as you can.

give someone a hand:

To help someone.

give rise to:

To cause or produce something.

give the green light:

To give permission to proceed.

Related Words

gift:

A thing given willingly to someone without payment.

forgive:

To cease to feel resentment against someone for an offense.

giver:

A person who gives, especially one who donates or contributes.

Slang Meanings of give

Meaning: To concede or yield something.

Example Sentence: After a long argument, he finally gave.

Meaning: To provide information or details, usually unsolicited.

Example Sentence: He was really giving it all away during the meeting.