whisk off
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb (transitive):
- To take away or remove someone or something quickly and suddenly, often in a surprising or abrupt manner.
- To brush or wipe something off lightly and quickly.
Usage Examples
Verb (take away suddenly):
- The secret service agents whisked the president off to a secure location.
- The fairy godmother whisked Cinderella off to the ball in a magical carriage.
Verb (brush/wipe off lightly):
- She whisked off the crumbs from the tablecloth before setting the plates.
- He whisked the dust off his jacket with a quick flick of his hand.
Advanced Usage
- "to whisk someone off their feet": This idiom, while related, uses "whisk" differently. It means to impress or charm someone completely, often leading to a romantic relationship. It is listed here as it is a common, distinct idiom.
- His grand romantic gesture completely whisked her off her feet.
Variants and Related Words
- Whisk (verb): The base form, meaning to move or take something quickly, or to beat ingredients (e.g., eggs).
- Whisked (past tense): The simple past and past participle form.
- The children were whisked away for a surprise.
Synonyms
- Spirit away: To remove someone secretly or mysteriously.
- Sweep away: To remove or carry off forcefully or suddenly.
- Brush off: To remove something by brushing (for the second meaning).
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Whisk away: Very similar in meaning to "whisk off," often used interchangeably when meaning "to take away suddenly."
- The ambulance whisked away the injured player.
Related Idioms
- (To be) whisked off one's feet: As noted in Advanced Usage, this is a set idiom meaning to be charmed or swept into romance.
- She wasn't looking for love, but he whisked her off her feet.
Verb
- take away quickly and suddenly
- brush or wipe off lightly