Definition

1. Verb:
   • To obtain, acquire, or receive something: The most common meaning, indicating the act of coming into possession of something.
   • To become or enter a certain state: Used to indicate a change in condition or state.
   • To cause something to happen or to cause someone/something to do something: To make something occur or to have something done.
   • To understand or grasp something mentally: To comprehend an idea or a concept.
   • To arrive at or reach a place: To move to or arrive at a destination.
   • To be affected by something (like an illness): To contract or suffer from something.

Usage Examples

• To obtain/acquire/receive:
  • I need to get a new passport.
  • Did you get my email?
• To become/enter a state:
  • It's getting dark outside.
  • She got angry when she heard the news.
• To cause something:
  • Can you get the printer to work?
  • He got his hair cut yesterday.
• To understand:
  • I don't get the joke.
  • Do you get what I mean?
• To arrive:
  • What time does the train get to London?
• To be affected:
  • I think I'm getting a cold.

Advanced Usage

• "Get" as a delexical verb: Often used with nouns to form common phrases where the main meaning comes from the noun.
  • to get permission / advice / help / a chance
• "Get" + past participle (to form the passive): Used to describe actions done to the subject, often in informal contexts.
  • He got promoted last week.
  • My phone got stolen.
• "Get" + adjective/adverb/preposition: To describe a change in state or position.
  • Please get ready.
  • We need to get ahead of schedule.

Variants and Related Words

• Got: Simple past and past participle form (especially in British English).
• Gotten: Past participle form (common in American English).
• Getting: Present participle/gerund form.

Synonyms

• Obtain: To acquire something, especially through effort.
• Receive: To be given or presented with something.
• Become: To begin to be.
• Understand: To grasp the meaning of something.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Get along (with): To have a harmonious relationship.
  • She gets along well with her colleagues.
• Get over: To recover from something (an illness, shock, etc.).
  • It took him months to get over the flu.
• Get by: To manage to live or survive, especially with limited resources.
  • They have just enough money to get by.
• Get through (to): To succeed in making contact or having a message understood.
  • I finally got through to the customer service department.
• Get up: To rise from bed or from a sitting position.
  • I get up at 7 a.m. every day.

Related Idioms

• Get the hang of (something): To learn how to do something, especially a skill.
  • After a few lessons, I started to get the hang of driving.
• Get cold feet: To suddenly become too frightened to do something you had planned to do.
  • He got cold feet and canceled the wedding.
• Get a grip (on yourself): To control your emotions.
  • Stop panicking and get a grip!
• Get wind of (something): To hear a rumor or piece of information.
  • The press got wind of the scandal.
• Get your act together: To organize yourself and your activities more effectively.
  • You need to get your act together if you want to pass the exam.

Noun

1. a return on a shot that seemed impossible to reach and would normally have resulted in a point for the opponent

Verb

1. make children
   • Abraham begot Isaac
   • Men often father children but don't recognize them
2. undergo (as of injuries and illnesses)
   • She suffered a fracture in the accident
   • He had an insulin shock after eating three candy bars
   • She got a bruise on her leg
   • He got his arm broken in the scuffle
3. take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
   • We began working at dawn
   • Who will start?
   • Get working as soon as the sun rises!
   • The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia
   • He began early in the day
   • Let's get down to work now
4. be a mystery or bewildering to
   • This beats me!
   • Got me--I don't know the answer!
   • a vexing problem
   • This question really stuck me
5. overcome or destroy
   • The ice storm got my hibiscus
   • the cat got the goldfish
6. earn or achieve a base by being walked by the pitcher
   • He drew a base on balls
7. apprehend and reproduce accurately
   • She really caught the spirit of the place in her drawings
   • She got the mood just right in her photographs
8. evoke an emotional response
   • Brahms's `Requiem' gets me every time
9. irritate
   • Her childish behavior really get to me
   • His lying really gets me
10. reach and board
    • She got the bus just as it was leaving
11. leave immediately; used usually in the imperative form
    • Scram!
12. receive as a retribution or punishment
    • He got 5 years in prison
13. suffer from the receipt of
    • She will catch hell for this behavior!
14. perceive by hearing
    • I didn't catch your name
    • She didn't get his name when they met the first time
15. purchase
    • What did you get at the toy store?
16. acquire as a result of some effort or action
    • You cannot get water out of a stone
    • Where did she get these news?
17. reach by calculation
    • What do you get when you add up these numbers?
18. reach with a blow or hit in a particular spot
    • the rock caught her in the back of the head
    • The blow got him in the back
    • The punch caught him in the stomach
19. attract and fix
    • His look caught her
    • She caught his eye
    • Catch the attention of the waiter
20. grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of
    • did you catch that allusion?
    • We caught something of his theory in the lecture
    • don't catch your meaning
    • did you get it?
    • She didn't get the joke
    • I just don't get him
21. move into a desired direction of discourse
    • What are you driving at?
22. give certain properties to something
    • get someone mad
    • She made us look silly
    • He made a fool of himself at the meeting
    • Don't make this into a big deal
    • This invention will make you a millionaire
    • Make yourself clear
23. communicate with a place or person; establish communication with, as if by telephone
    • Bill called this number and he got Mary
    • The operator couldn't get Kobe because of the earthquake
24. be stricken by an illness, fall victim to an illness
    • He got AIDS
    • She came down with pneumonia
    • She took a chill
25. come to have or undergo a change of (physical features and attributes)
    • He grew a beard
    • The patient developed abdominal pains
    • I got funny spots all over my body
    • Well-developed breasts
26. succeed in catching or seizing, especially after a chase
    • We finally got the suspect
    • Did you catch the thief?
27. cause to do; cause to act in a specified manner
    • The ads induced me to buy a VCR
    • My children finally got me to buy a computer
    • My wife made me buy a new sofa
28. achieve a point or goal
    • Nicklaus had a 70
    • The Brazilian team got 4 goals
    • She made 29 points that day
29. take vengeance on or get even
    • We'll get them!
    • That'll fix him good!
    • This time I got him
30. go through (mental or physical states or experiences)
    • get an idea
    • experience vertigo
    • get nauseous
    • receive injuries
    • have a feeling
31. go or come after and bring or take back
    • Get me those books over there, please
    • Could you bring the wine?
    • The dog fetched the hat
32. reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
    • She arrived home at 7 o'clock
    • She didn't get to Chicago until after midnight
33. receive a specified treatment (abstract)
    • These aspects of civilization do not find expression or receive an interpretation
    • His movie received a good review
    • I got nothing but trouble for my good intentions
34. cause to move; cause to be in a certain position or condition
    • He got his squad on the ball
    • This let me in for a big surprise
    • He got a girl into trouble
35. enter or assume a certain state or condition
    • He became annoyed when he heard the bad news
    • It must be getting more serious
    • her face went red with anger
    • She went into ecstasy
    • Get going!
36. come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
    • She got a lot of paintings from her uncle
    • They acquired a new pet
    • Get your results the next day
    • Get permission to take a few days off from work