give the gate
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb (Phrasal Verb):
- To end a romantic or personal relationship with someone suddenly and decisively, often by rejecting or dismissing them.
Usage
This phrasal verb is informal and is used to describe the act of breaking up with someone or ending an association. It implies a final, often unceremonious, termination initiated by the subject of the verb.
Examples
- After years of unhappiness, she finally gave him the gate.
- He was shocked when his girlfriend gave him the gate without any explanation.
- If you don't start treating me with respect, I'm going to give you the gate.
Advanced Usage
- The phrase often carries a connotation of rejection and being sent away. The person who is "given the gate" is the one being rejected.
- It can sometimes be used in non-romantic contexts to mean firing someone from a job or expelling them from a group, though this is less common.
Variants and Related Words
- Give someone the axe/brush-off/heave-ho: These are informal synonyms with very similar meanings, all indicating a sudden dismissal or rejection.
- The company gave him the axe after the merger.
- She gave her freeloading roommate the heave-ho.
Synonyms
- Dump
- Break up with
- Reject
- Dismiss
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Break up (with): A more standard and neutral term for ending a romantic relationship.
- They broke up last month.
- Split up (with): Another common synonym for ending a relationship.
- He split up with his partner.
Related Idioms
- Show someone the door: To ask or tell someone to leave, often abruptly. This focuses on the physical act of making someone leave rather than specifically ending a relationship.
- After his rude comments, the host showed him the door.
Verb
- terminate a relationship abruptly
- Mary gave John the axe after she saw him with another woman