away
/ə'wei/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adverb:
- At a distance from a particular place or person: "away" indicates movement or position that creates separation.
- Into an appropriate place for storage or safekeeping: "away" means to put something in its designated place.
- Continuously or persistently: "away" describes an action done steadily or without stopping.
- Out of existence or until something is gone: "away" indicates a process of disappearance, removal, or consumption.
- Without hesitation or delay: "away" is used to encourage immediate action.
Adjective:
- Not present: "away" describes someone who is absent from a location.
- (Sports) Played at the opponent's ground: In sports, an "away" game is one played at the opposing team's venue.
- (Baseball) On the far side of home plate from the batter: A pitch that is "away" is outside the strike zone.
Usage Examples
Adverb:
- He walked away from the argument. (He created distance from the situation.)
- Please put your toys away. (Please store your toys in their proper place.)
- She worked away at the difficult problem. (She worked on it persistently.)
- The snow melted away in the sun. (The snow disappeared.)
- Fire away with your questions! (Ask your questions immediately and freely.)
Adjective:
- The manager is away from her desk. (The manager is not at her desk.)
- Our team won the away game. (Our team won the game at the opponent's stadium.)
- The pitcher threw an away pitch. (The pitcher threw a ball outside the strike zone.)
Advanced Usage
"right away": immediately, without any delay.
- Please come to my office right away.
"far and away": by a very large margin; undoubtedly.
- She is far and away the best candidate for the job.
"make away with": to steal or carry off; to kill or destroy.
- The thieves made away with the jewels.
Variants and Related Words
Straightaway (adv.): immediately.
- He left straightaway after the meeting.
Castaway (n.): a person who has been shipwrecked.
- The castaway survived on a deserted island.
Runaway (n./adj.): a person who has run away; something that is out of control.
- The police searched for the runaway. / The project costs were runaway.
Synonyms
- Absent: not present.
- Off: at a distance in space or time.
- Aside: to one side; out of the way.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Do away with: to abolish, remove, or kill.
- The company did away with the old policy.
Give away: to give something as a gift; to reveal a secret.
- She gave away her old clothes. / His smile gave away his surprise.
Fade away: to gradually disappear.
- The sound of the train faded away into the distance.
Related Idioms
Out of the way / Away from one's thoughts: dismissed or ignored.
- He brushed his doubts away and continued.
Pass away: a euphemism for dying.
- Her grandfather passed away peacefully.
While away: to spend time in a leisurely manner.
- We whiled away the afternoon reading.
Adjective
- (of a baseball pitch) on the far side of home plate from the batter
- the pitch was away (or wide)
- an outside pitch
- used of an opponent's ground
- an away game
- not present; having left
- he's away right now
- you must not allow a stranger into the house when your mother is away
Adverb
- in reserve; not for immediate use
- started setting aside money to buy a car
- put something by for her old age
- has a nest egg tucked away for a rainy day
- in a different direction
- turn aside
- turn away one's face
- glanced away
- in or into a proper place (especially for storage or safekeeping)
- put the toys away
- her jewels are locked away in a safe
- filed the letter away
- freely or at will
- fire away!
- so as to be removed or gotten rid of
- cleared the mess away
- the rotted wood had to be cut away
- indicating continuing action; continuously or steadily
- he worked away at the project for more than a year
- the child kept hammering away as if his life depended on it
- at a distance in space or time
- the boat was 5 miles off (or away)
- the party is still 2 weeks off (or away)
- away back in the 18th century
- out of existence
- the music faded away
- tried to explain away the affair of the letter- H.E.Scudder
- idled the hours away
- her fingernails were worn away
- out of the way (especially away from one's thoughts)
- brush the objections aside
- pushed all doubts away
- from one's possession
- he gave out money to the poor
- gave away the tickets
- from a particular thing or place or position (`forth' is obsolete)
- ran away from the lion
- wanted to get away from there
- sent the children away to boarding school
- the teacher waved the children away from the dead animal
- went off to school
- they drove off
- go forth and preach