away

[ uh-wey ]

adverb

1. from this or that place; off:

   to go away.

2. aside; to another place; in another direction:

   to turn your eyes away; to turn away customers

3. far; apart:

   away back; away from the subject.

4. out of one's possession or use:

   to give money away.

5. out of existence or notice; into extinction:

   to fade away; to idle away the morning.

6. incessantly or relentlessly; repeatedly:

   He kept hammering away.

7. without hesitation:

   Fire away.

adjective

1. absent; gone:

   to be away from home.

2. distant:

   six miles away.

3. immediately off and on the way:

   The order was given and he was away.

4. Sports. played in a ball park, arena, or the like, other than the one that is or is assumed to be the center of operations of a team: Compare home ( def ).

   winners in their last three away games.

5. Baseball. having been put out:

   with two away in the top of the seventh.

6. Golf.
   1. (of a golf ball) lying farthest from the hole.
   2. (of a golfer) having hit such a ball and being required to play first.

verb phrase

1. 1. to get rid of; abolish; stop.
   2. to kill:

      Bluebeard did away with all his wives.

away

/ əˈweɪ /

adverb

1. from a particular place; off

   to swim away

2. in or to another, usual, or proper place

   to put toys away

3. apart; at a distance

   to keep away from strangers

4. out of existence

   the music faded away

5. indicating motion, displacement, transfer, etc, from a normal or proper place, from a person's own possession, etc

   to give away money

   to turn one's head away

6. indicating activity that is wasteful or designed to get rid of something

   to sleep away the hours

7. continuously

   fire away

   laughing away

8. away with
   a command for a person to go or be removed

   away with you

   away with him to prison!

9. far and away
   by a very great margin

   far and away the biggest meal he'd ever eaten

10. from away
    from a part of Canada other than Newfoundland

adjective

1. not present

   away from school

2. distant

   he is a good way away

3. having started; released

   bombs away!

   he was away before sunrise

4. also prenominal sport played on an opponent's ground

   an away game

5. golf (of a ball or player) farthest from the hole
6. baseball (of a player) having been put out
7. horse racing relating to the outward portion or first half of a race

noun

1. sport a game played or won at an opponent's ground

interjection

1. an expression of dismissal

Word History and Origins

Origin of away¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English aweg, reduction of on weg; equivalent to a- ¹ + way ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of away¹

Old English on weg on way

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. where away? (of something sighted from a ship) in which direction? where?
2. away with,
   1. take away:

      Away with him!

   2. go away! leave!:

      Away with you!

More idioms and phrases containing away

see back away ; bang away ; blow away ; break away ; by far (and away) ; carry away ; cart off (away) ; cast away ; clear out (away) ; die away ; do away with ; draw away ; eat away ; explain away ; fade out (away) ; fall away ; fire away ; fool away ; fritter away ; get away ; get away with ; give away ; go away ; hammer away ; lay aside (away) ; make away with ; out and away ; pass away ; peg away at ; piss away ; plug away at ; pull away ; put away ; right away ; run away ; run away with ; salt away ; send away ; shy away from ; slink away ; slip out (away) ; sock away ; spirit away ; square away ; squirrel away ; stow away ; take away from ; take one's breath away ; tear away ; throw away ; tuck away ; turn away ; walk away from ; walk off (away) with ; waste away ; wear off (away) ; whale away ; when the cat's away ; while away .

Example Sentences

“Life should be about enjoyment and having fun and having that sense of wonder. We want people to walk away feeling, ‘wow’ — drenched, yes — but that they have been on a magical journey where you’re getting a chance to feel a city, and hear the music of the city,” says Smith.

From Los Angeles Times

Powell led the recovery with a well-paced half-century as he and Romario Shepherd steered West Indies away from immediate danger - both showing the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground was too small for them when they connected cleanly.

From BBC

Quiet as he was off the field, Maiava had never shied away from contact on it.

From Los Angeles Times

Maybe, safety Akili Arnold wondered, he would even inspire other Polynesian football players to “not shy away from being that guy.”

From Los Angeles Times

Caitlin Dickerson for The Atlantic: “We need to take away children.”

From Slate

Related Words

• abroad
• absent
• aside
• distant
• elsewhere
• off
• over