Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - give

~1 v past tense gavepast participle given PROVIDE/SUPPLY 1 to provide or supply someone with something  (give sb sth)  (Researchers were given a -10,000 grant to continue their work. | Can you give me a ride to the office on Tuesday? | He went to Las Vegas. He has a friend there who will give him a job. | The doctor gave him something for the pain. | give sth to sb)  (The firm gives a generous discount to companies that place large orders.) 2 to give something to someone by putting it near them or in their hand  (give sb sth)  (A policeman gave me a ticket for speeding. | give sth to sb)  (Why don't you give those packages to me while you find out about the train?) 3 to provide someone with something as a present  (give sb sth)  (Jon always gives her flowers on her birthday.) 4 to give money, food etc in order to help people who are poor  (He gives generously to the church. | give sth to sb)  (They regularly give 5% of their income to charity.) TELL SB STH/PROVIDE INFORMATION 5 to tell someone information or details about something  (a brochure giving holiday details | The first chapter gives a broad outline of the topic. | You will be asked to give evidence when the case is brought to trial. | give sb sth)  (When will you be able to give us your answer? | give (sb) information/a description/an example etc)  (Dad gave me some information on buying a new car. | give (sb) advice/instructions/a warning etc)  (The instructions the manufacturer gave aren't very clear. | give (sb) an account/report/message etc)  (The newspaper gave a disturbing account of the murder.)  (- see say1) 6 give sb your word/promise to promise to do something  (I gave him my word not to repeat anything of what he'd told me.) 7 give sb to understand/believe formal to make someone believe that something will happen or is true  (I was given to understand that the contract would be approved by the end of the week.) 8 give it to me straight spoken used when you want someone to tell you something unpleasant directly DO STH 9 give (sb/sth) a smile/laugh/shout/push etc to smile, laugh, shout etc  (He gave me a quick smile and a hug. | Ooh, the baby just gave a kick!) 10 give (sb/sth) assistance/help/support etc to do something to help someone or something be successful  (Committee members agreed to give the policy of increasing wheel-chair access their full support.) 11 give (sb) a hand spoken to help someone do something, especially something that involves physical work  (Can you give me a hand? I need to move this box.) 12 give sb a call/ring BrE /bell BrE /buzz to call someone on the telephone  (I'll give you a call about seven, okay?) 13 give a speech/concert/performance etc to talk, play an instrument etc in front of a group of people  (Seamus Heaney is giving a poetry reading Thursday evening. | She gave a performance of great beauty and sweetness.) 14 give a party/dance etc to be the person who organizes a party etc, especially at your own home  (Julie is giving a wedding shower for Lori next Saturday.) 15 give sth a try/shot/go BrE /whirl to be willing to attempt to do something  (I'm not usually much good at these sorts of games, but I'll give it a go.) 16 »JOB« to ask someone to do a job or task  (My algebra teacher always gives us a lot of homework. | Give Mike something to do - he's just sitting there.) 17 give (sb) trouble/a hard time/problems etc to do something that causes problems or makes a situation difficult for someone  (This new computer program is giving us a little bit of trouble. | She's always giving her mother a hard time these days.) 18 give (sb) a signal/alarm/sign etc to say or do something that tells someone what to do in a particular situation  (The man who was controlling the traffic gave me the signal to move forward.) PRODUCE A FEELING/ILLNESS/RESULT 19 to produce a particular emotional or physical feeling  (give sb sth)  (He gave us quite a shock, appearing suddenly like that. | The heat gave me a real headache. | Targets help give workers a sense of achievement.) 20 to infect someone with the same illness you have  (give sb sth)  (Don't come too close - I don't want to give you my cold! | give sth to sb)  (It's very unlikely a doctor could give hepatitis to a patient.) 21 to produce a particular effect, solution, result etc  (The fields that had not been fertilized gave surprisingly high yields. | The camera's focus should be set to give maximum resolution.) ALLOW 22 to allow something or someone to do something  (Women were given the vote in the early 1900's. | I gave the students the freedom to choose their own topics. | give (sb) permission/consent)  (Her father finally gave his consent to her marriage. | give sb a chance/opportunity to do sth)  (These meetings give everyone a chance to express their opinions.) 23 give sb authority/responsibility/control etc to allow someone to have power or control over something  (Schools have recently been given responsibility for their own budgets.) 24 to be willing to change what you think or do in a situation according to what else happens  (If only he'd give a little, we'd have this whole thing settled by now.) JUDGE 25 to decide how much time a criminal will have to spend in prison  (give sb sth)  (The judge gave her two years. | He was given life for murdering three women.) 26 give sth out/offside etc BrE to decide that a player or a ball is playing against the rules  (The linesman gave the ball out.) TIME 27 give sb time/a few weeks/all day etc to allow someone or a situation to have enough time to develop, do something etc  (Give him time. It's always hard to adjust to a new place. | give sb time to do sth)  (Flexible working hours could give working parents more time to spend with their children.) 28 I give it six weeks/a month etc spoken used when you think that something is not going to continue successfully for very long  (Steve and Celia are going to get married? I give it six weeks.) »THINK ABOUT STH« 29 give (sth) thought/attention/consideration etc to spend some time thinking about something carefully  (Congress has been giving the crime bill serious consideration. | I'll give the matter some thought and let you know my decision next week. | not give sth a second thought/another thought (=not think or worry about something))  (Don't give it a second thought. I'll take care of the whole thing.) 30 give (sb) the impression/sense/idea etc to make someone think about something in a particular way  (give (sb) the impression that)  (Paul didn't want to give Mr Bergman the impression that he was avoiding him.) »LIKE STH« 31 give me sth (any day/time) spoken used to say that you like something much more than something else  (I don't like spicy food much. Give me meat and potatoes any day.) 32 give anything/a lot/your right arm etc spoken used when you want something very much  (I'd give my right arm for a complexion like that.) BEND/BREAK 33 if a material gives, it bends or stretches when you put pressure on it  (The leather will give a little after you've worn the shoes a while.) 34 if something such as a chair or shelf gives, it breaks suddenly  (The branch suddenly gave beneath him.) »OTHER MEANINGS« 35 not give a damn/toss BrE /shit etc spoken used when you do not care at all about something  (I don't give a damn what you think.) 36 »MAKE STH HAVE A PARTICULAR QUALITY« to add a quality or characteristic to a person, place, thing etc  (The new sponsor gives the theatre some respectability. | give a smell/taste/look etc)  (Rub the salad bowl with a clove of garlic to give a delicate tang. | Her tan gave her a healthy look.) 37 give (sth) coherence/form/shape etc to organize something, especially something such as an idea or situation  (The painter takes his emotions and gives them artistic form.) 38 give (sb/sth) credit/respect/priority etc to treat something or someone in a way that shows it is important or has value  (You have to give him credit for trying to learn the language. | Top priority should be given to finishing on schedule.) 39 don't give me that spoken used when you do not believe someone's excuse or explanation  ("I'm sorry I'm late. My car broke down." "Oh, don't give me that.") 40 give sb what for informal to tell someone angrily that you are annoyed with them 41 »PAY« to be willing to pay a particular amount of money for something  (give sb sth for)  (He said he'd give us -700 for our old Ford.) 42 give as good as you get to fight or argue with someone using the same amount of skill or force that they are using 43 give or take a few minutes/a penny/a mile etc if a number, time, or amount is correct give or take a few minutes etc, it is approximately correct  (You can usually predict how tall a child will be as an adult, give or take a couple of inches.) 44 I'll give you that spoken used when you accept that something is true, even though you do not like it or disagree with other parts of it  (Yes, he's handsome, I'll give you that, but he's really arrogant.) 45 I give you the chairman/prime minister/groom etc BrE spoken used at the end of a speech to invite people to cheer or applaud (1) a special guest 46 What gives? spoken used when you want to ask what is happening 47 »SEX« old-fashioned if a woman gives herself to a man, she has sex with him  (- see also give way way1 (31)) give away phr v 1 (give something away) to give something to another person because you do not want it any longer or because they need it more than you  (I need to give away some of these old baby clothes. | give sth away to)  (He gave away immense amounts of money to charity.) 2 (give something away) if a company gives away something, they give things to people in order to persuade them to buy that company's products  (They're giving a plastic model skeleton away with a children's book on the body.) 3 (give something away) to do something that shows what you really think or what is really true  (Katheryn studied the juror's faces, but they gave away no clues as to the verdict.) 4 (give someone away) to show that someone is doing something wrong  (give yourself away)  (Most shoplifters give themselves away by constantly looking around for cameras.) 5 (give something away) to tell someone something that you should keep secret  (I was afraid the kids would give the whole thing away. | give the game away (=tell someone a secret plan, idea etc)) 6 (give something away) to lose something by doing something silly or stupid  (The goalkeeper gave away two goals. | I swear the Democrats are just giving this election away.) 7 (give away something) to give someone something such as a prize in a ceremony  (The university chancellor gave away our diplomas.) 8 (give someone away) when a man, especially the bride ' s father, gives the bride away, he walks with her to the front of the church and formally gives permission for her to marry  (She asked her eldest brother to give her away.) give sth back phr v 1 to return something to the person who owned it before  (give sth back to sb)  (She read the letter, signed it, and gave it back to Rae. | give sb back sth)  (I need to give Jack back the money he lent me. | give sb sth back)  (Mom! Tell Josh to give me my pens back!) 2 if you give someone back a quality, ability, or characteristic, you make them have it again after they had lost it; restore (5)  (The operation gave him back his sight.) give in phr v 1 to unwillingly agree to someone's demands after they have spent a lot of time arguing with you, trying to persuade you etc  (They argued back and forth until finally Buzz gave in.)  (O'Neill was giving in to pressure from London to hurry the reforms.) 2 to stop playing, fighting etc and accept that you will be defeated  (They weren't a particularly good team, but they refused to give in and accept defeat.) 3 T give something in) BrE to give something such as an official paper or piece of work to someone; hand in (hand2) AmE  (Rose decided to give in her notice. | You were supposed to give this work in four days ago.) give in to phr v to no longer control a strong emotion or desire  (If you feel the urge for a cigarette, try not to give in to it.) give of sth phr v if you give of yourself, your time or money, or your best, you do things for other people without expecting them to do anything for you  (professionals who give of their free time to help under-privileged youngsters) give off sth phr v to produce a smell, light, heat, a sound etc  (Chives give off a delicate oniony scent.) give on/onto sth phr v T not in passive if a window, door, building etc gives on or onto a particular place, it leads to that place or you can see that place from it  (a gate giving on to the main road | a small window giving onto fields) give out phr v 1 T give something out) to give something to a number of different people, especially to give information to people  (Students were giving out leaflets to everyone on the street. | You had no right to give my telephone number out.) 2 if a part of your body gives out, it stops working properly  (I am so frightened that my legs give out, and I reach for the railing.) 3 if a supply of something gives out, there is none left  (My money began to give out. | predictions that the world's oil supply would soon give out) 4 T give out something) to produce light, heat, a sound, a gas etc  (A palm-oil lamp gave out yellowish light.) 5 T give something out) BrE formal to announce something, especially officially  (Mr Banks gave out the last verse of the hymn. | give out that)  (It was given out that the prime minister was to undergo minor surgery.) 6 especially AmE to end  (She parked near the spot where the blacktop gave out.) give over phr v BrE spoken used to tell someone angrily to stop doing something or to be quiet  ("We're going to thrash you lot five-nil." "Oh, give over!" | give over doing sth)  (Oh, give over complaining, we're nearly there.) give over to phr v 1 be given over to to be used for a particular purpose  (The best land near the village was given over to vineyards. | Two days were given over to the celebrations.) 2 (give someone/something over to) to allow yourself or your life to be completely controlled by another person, a feeling, or an activity  (a life given over to sexual excess | give yourself over to)  (After her husband's death, she gave herself over to her work.) 3 (give something/someone over to) to give the responsibility for something or someone to someone else  (His mother gave him over to his uncle's care when he was very small.) give up phr v 1 T give something up) to stop doing something or having something, especially something that you do regularly  (Shaun's giving up his karate, he's bored with it. | When Ed left, she gave up hope of ever marrying. | give up doing sth)  (I've given up expecting him to change. | give up a job/career/work etc)  (Peter had given up a promising career in law to become a teacher. | give up smoking/drinking/alcohol/cigarettes etc (=stop doing something that is unhealthy))  (I gave up smoking when I got pregnant.) 2 T give something up) to stop attempting to do something, especially something difficult, without completing it  (They searched for the ball for a while, but eventually gave up and went home. | give up doing sth)  (I gave up trying to persuade him to get a degree. | give it/that up)  ("Give it up," Anna advised me. "You'll never get him to agree." | I give up spoken (=used when you do not know the answer to a question or joke))  ("Why did the chicken cross the road?" "I give up. Why?") 3 T give someone up) to allow yourself or someone else to be caught by the police or enemy soldiers  (give yourself up)  (The police issued a statement urging the fugitive to give himself up.) 4 T give up something) to agree to do something during the time you would normally spend doing things you enjoy  (The club secretary will need to give up an hour or two a week to do the correspondence.) 5 T give something/someone up) to give someone else possession of something you have  (thoughts that Israel might give up some of the occupied territory | give sth up to sb)  (John gave up his seat to an elderly lady on the bus. | give sb up for adoption (=allow your child to become legally part of someone else's family)) 6 T give someone up) to end a relationship with someone, especially a romantic relationship  (He's started going out with Emma, but he doesn't want to give up this other girl!) 7 give sb up for dead/lost etc to believe that someone is dead and stop looking for them  (The ship sank and the crew were given up for dead.)  (- see also give up the ghost ghost1 (5)) give up on sb phr v to stop hoping that someone will change, do something etc  (He'd been in a coma for six months, and doctors had almost given up on him.) give yourself up to sth phr v to allow yourself to feel some emotion completely, without trying to control it  (He gave himself up to despair.) ~2 n the ability to bend or stretch when put under pressure  (The rope has quite a bit of give in it.)