Give

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɡɪv/
• Rhymes: -ɪv

Origin

From Middle English given, from Old Norse gefa ("to give"), from Proto-Germanic *gebaną ("to give"), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰ- ("to take, hold, have"). Displaced or merged with native Middle English yiven, ȝeven, from Old English ġiefan, from the same Proto-Germanic source (cf. the inherited now obsolete English doublet yive). Cognate with Scots gie ("to give"), Danish give ("to give"), Swedish giva, ge ("to give"), Icelandic gefa ("to give"), North Frisian jiw, jiiw, jeewe ("to give"), West Frisian jaan ("to give"), Low German geven ("to give"), Dutch geven ("to give"), German geben ("to give"), Latin habeō ("have, hold"), Old Irish gaibim ("I hold"), Lithuanian gabenti ("to carry, transport"), Polish gabać ("to grab, snatch"), Sanskrit गभस्ति (gabhasti, "hand").

Full definition of give

Verb

1. (transitive, may take two objects) To move, shift, provide something abstract or concrete to someone or something or somewhere.
1. To transfer one's possession or holding of (something) to (someone).
   I gave him my coat.
   I gave my coat to the beggar.
   When they asked, I gave my coat.
2. To make a present or gift of.
   I'm going to give my wife a necklace for her birthday.
   She gave a pair of shoes to her husband for their anniversary.
   He gives of his energies to the organization.
3. To pledge.
   I gave him my word that I'd protect his children.
4. To provide (something) to (someone), to allow or afford.
   I gave them permission to miss tomorrow's class.
   Please give me some more time.
5. To cause (a sensation or feeling) to exist in.
   It gives me a lot of pleasure to be here tonight.
   The fence gave me an electric shock.
   My mother-in-law gives me nothing but grief.
6. To carry out (a physical interaction) with (something).
   I want to give you a kiss.
   She gave him a hug.
   I'd like to give the tire a kick.
   I gave the boy a push on the swing.
   She gave me a wink afterwards, so I knew she was joking.
• 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 5, Then came a maid with hand-bag and shawls, and after her a tall young lady. She stood for a moment holding her skirt above the grimy steps, with something of the stately pose which Richter has given his Queen Louise on the stairway,....
7. To pass (something) into (someone's) hand or the like.
   Give me your hand.
   On entering the house, he gave his coat to the doorman.
8. To cause (a disease or condition) in, or to transmit (a disease or condition) to.
   My boyfriend gave me chlamydia.
   He was convinced that it was his alcoholism that gave him cancer.
• 1699, William Temple, Heads designed for an essay on conversationsStudy gives strength to the mind; conversation, grace: the first apt to give stiffness, the other suppleness: one gives substance and form to the statue, the other polishes it.
2. (transitive, may take two objects) To estimate or predict (a duration or probability) for (something).
   I give it ten minutes before he gives up.
   I give it a 95% chance of success.
   I'll give their marriage six months.
3. (intransitive) To yield slightly when a force is applied.
• 1992, Garry Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg Chapter prologue, A soldier noticed how earth "gave" as he walked over the shallow trenches.
4. (intransitive) To collapse under pressure or force.
   One pillar gave, then more, and suddenly the whole floor pancaked onto the floor below.
5. (transitive) To provide, as, a service or a broadcast.
   They're giving my favorite show!
• 2003, Iain Aitken, Value-Driven IT Management: Commercializing the IT Function, page 153...who did not have a culture in which 'giving good presentation' and successfully playing the internal political game was the way up.
• 2006, Christopher Matthew Spencer The Ebay Entrepreneur, page 248A friendly voice on the phone welcoming prospective new clients is a must. Don't underestimate the importance of giving good "phone".
6. (intransitive) To lead (onto or into).
   The master bedroom gives onto a spacious balcony.
7. To exhibit as a product or result; to produce; to yield.The number of men, divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship.
8. To cause; to make; used with the infinitive.
• ShakespeareBut there the duke was given to understand
  That in a gondola were seen together
  Lorenzo and his amorous Jessica.
9. To allow or admit by way of supposition.
• MiltonI give not heaven for lost.
10. To attribute; to assign; to adjudge.
• SheridanI don't wonder at people's giving him to me as a lover.
11. To communicate or announce (advice, tidings, etc.); to pronounce or utter (an opinion, a judgment, a shout, etc.).
12. (dated) To grant power or permission to; to allow.
• RoweIt is given me once again to behold my friend.
• Alexander PopeThen give thy friend to shed the sacred wine.
13. (reflexive) To devote or apply (oneself).The soldiers give themselves to plunder.That boy is given to fits of bad temper.
    What gives?

Synonyms

• (transfer possession of) donate, pass, transfer
• (bend slightly when a force is applied) bend, cede, flex, move, yield
• (estimate or predict) estimate, guess, predict
• (provide)

Antonyms

• (transfer possession of) get, obtain, receive, take
• (bend slightly when a force is applied) not bend/cede/flex/give/move/yield, resist

Derived terms

Noun

1. (uncountable) The amount of bending that something undergoes when a force is applied to it.This chair doesn't have much give.