Away Definition & Meaning

away
adverb
  1. from a particular thing or place or position (`forth' is obsolete); "ran away from the lion"; "wanted to get away from there"; "sent the children away to boarding school"; "the teacher waved the children away from the dead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"
  2. from one's possession; "he gave out money to the poor"; "gave away the tickets"
  3. out of the way (especially away from one's thoughts); "brush the objections aside"; "pushed all doubts away"
  4. 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"
  5. 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"
  6. 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"
  7. so as to be removed or gotten rid of; "cleared the mess away"; "the rotted wood had to be cut away"
  8. freely or at will; "fire away!"
  9. 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"
  10. in a different direction; "turn aside"; "turn away one's face"; "glanced away"
  11. 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"
adjective
  1. not present; having left; "he's away right now"; "you must not allow a stranger into the house when your mother is away"
  2. used of an opponent's ground; "an away game"
  3. (of a baseball pitch) on the far side of home plate from the batter; "the pitch was away (or wide)"; "an outside pitch"

Synonyms for away

aside adv

on or to one side; "step aside"; "stood aside to let him pass"; "threw the book aside

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
by adv

so as to pass a given point; "every hour a train goes past" in reserve; not for immediate use

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
departed adj

well in the past; former; "bygone days"; "dreams of foregone times"; "sweet memories of gone summers

♫ Rhymes ↔ Synonyms
forth adv

from a particular thing or place or position (`forth' is obsolete); "ran away from the lion

♫ Rhymes
gone adj

destroyed or killed; "we are gone geese" dead; "he is deceased"; "our dear departed friend" well in the past; former

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inaccurate adj

not exact; "an inaccurate translation"; "the thermometer is inaccurate"

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off adv

from a particular thing or place or position (`forth' is obsolete); "ran away from the lion

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out adv

away from home; "they went out last night" moving or appearing to move away from a place, especially one that is

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outside adv

outside a building; "in summer we play outside" on the outside

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"Away" in song lyrics

See how away is used in real songs:

  • "Yesterday, all my trouble seem so far away"
    1.4.0. Productions f/ Lenore, Shawn Wigs — Yesterday
  • "Now I need a place to hide away"
    1.4.0. Productions f/ Lenore, Shawn Wigs — Yesterday
  • "So, as he turned and walked away"
    2 Live Crew — Check it Out Y'all

Words that rhyme with away

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Usage tips for "away"

Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "away" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for away to find words that pair well.

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♫ Rhymes with away ↔ Synonyms for away 🔬 Words containing away

Frequently asked questions

What does away mean?
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" from one's possession; "he gave out money to the poor"; "gave away the tickets" out of the way (especially away from one's thoughts); "brush the objections aside"; "pushed all doubts away" out of existence
What part of speech is away?
Away is an adverb and an adjective.
How many definitions does away have?
Away has 14 definitions across 2 parts of speech (adverb, adjective).

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