give

A1 Topic:Actions & Processes

Also spelled Gie, giv, and givin

US /ɡɪv/ See IPA manual

verb Freq #121

Meanings

1

verb
To hand something to someone so they can have it.

Please give me the book on the table.
2

verb
To allow someone to have something.

I'll give you two minutes to answer.
3

verb
To provide or supply something.

Can you give me some advice about my résumé?
4

verb
To pass on knowledge, information, or skills.

She gave a clear explanation of the rules.
5

verb
To bend or stretch under pressure rather than break.

The old wooden floor gives a little when you walk on it.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to hand something to... present

4 verb · to pass on knowledge,... impartpass on

5 verb · to bend or stretch under... yield

More accord add assign award bequeath bestow confer contribute deliver do donate furnish

Opposites

receive take

Word family

Forms gavegivesgivethgivingyave

Derived forms begivefore-giveforegiveforgiveforthgivegavelgivablegive-and-gogive-and-takegive-awaygiveegiven

Related forms bestowal giver

Common collocations

Etymology

Middle English given, from merger of Old English giefan (“to give”) and Old Norse gefa (“to give”), from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”). Displaced yive, from Middle English yiven, of the same origin, from influence of Old Norse gefa.

*gʰebʰ- Proto-Indo-European given Middle English giefan Old English gefa Old Norse *gebaną Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

# give

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ɡɪv
**Frequency rank:** 121

## Meanings
1. To hand something to someone so they can have it.
2. To allow someone to have something.
3. To provide or supply something.
4. To pass on knowledge, information, or skills.
5. To bend or stretch under pressure rather than break.

## Examples
- Please give me the book on the table.
- I'll give you two minutes to answer.
- Can you give me some advice about my résumé?
- She gave a clear explanation of the rules.
- The old wooden floor gives a little when you walk on it.

## Synonyms
- accord
- add
- assign
- award
- bequeath
- bestow
- confer
- contribute
- deliver
- do
- donate
- furnish

## Antonyms
- receive
- take

## Derived Forms
- begive
- fore-give
- foregive
- forgive
- forthgive
- gavel
- givable
- give-and-go
- give-and-take
- give-away
- givee
- given

## Related Forms
- bestowal
- giver

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʰebʰ-
- Root: given
- Root: giefan
- Root: gefa
- Root: *gebaną

## Etymology
Middle English given, from merger of Old English giefan (“to give”) and Old Norse gefa (“to give”), from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”). Displaced yive, from Middle English yiven, of the same origin, from influence of Old Norse gefa.

## AI Etymology
Give comes from Middle English given, from merger of Old English giefan (“to give”) and Old Norse gefa (“to give”), from Proto-Germanic *gebaną (“to give”). Displaced yive, from Middle English yiven, of the same origin, from influence of Old Norse gefa. In current use, the main senses are “To hand something to someone so they can have it” and “To allow someone to have something”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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