Definition

Verb: * To cause someone or something to leave or go away, often by pursuing, threatening, or applying pressure. This action can be applied to both physical entities and abstract concepts like thoughts or feelings.

Usage

The verb "chase away" is used to describe the act of making an unwanted person, animal, or idea depart. It implies an active effort to remove the subject. * It is a transitive phrasal verb, requiring a direct object (the thing being chased away). * It is often used in informal contexts but is acceptable in standard English.

Examples

• The loud noise chased away the birds from the garden.
• She tried to chase away her feelings of anxiety by going for a walk.
• A good reputation can chase away doubts about a company's reliability.

Advanced Usage

• "to chase away the blues": A common idiomatic expression meaning to do something to alleviate sadness or depression.
  • Listening to cheerful music helps me chase away the blues.

Variants and Related Words

• Drive away: A very close synonym, often used interchangeably with "chase away."
• Dispel: A more formal synonym, used primarily for abstract things like doubts, fears, or myths.
• Turn back: To refuse entry or cause to return from a point, often used for people.
• Scare off: To cause to leave by frightening.

Synonyms

• Drive away
• Disperse
• Scatter
• Dispel (for abstract concepts)
• Banish

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Chase off: Very similar to "chase away," emphasizing making something flee.
  • The farmer chased off the foxes.
• Chase out: Similar to "chase away," with a focus on expelling from an interior or enclosed space.
  • The security guard chased the troublemakers out of the mall.

Related Idioms

• To chase someone/something away/off: The base form of the phrasal verb itself functions idiomatically to mean "to force a departure."
  • The bright porch light is enough to chase away most nocturnal animals.

Verb

1. force to go away; used both with concrete and metaphoric meanings
   • Drive away potential burglars
   • drive away bad thoughts
   • dispel doubts
   • The supermarket had to turn back many disappointed customers