verb

take

TAYK

verb

To reach out and get hold of something, or to remove or carry it away.

"She took the book off the shelf."

"Can you take the trash out before you leave?"

To accept, receive, or consume something offered.

"He took the job offer without hesitation."

"Take two tablets with water."

To require a certain amount of time, effort, or resources.

"The drive takes about three hours."

noun

A particular version, interpretation, or recording of something.

"What's your take on the new policy?"

"The director asked for another take of the scene."

How to Use Take

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo get hold of, accept, or require something — one of the most common and flexible verbs in English, with dozens of idiomatic uses (take a break, take offense, take place).

Common mistake

Take vs. bring depends on direction: you take something TO another place, but bring something HERE.

Easily confused with

bring →

Common pairings

take a break take place take time take offense a hot take

Word Forms

took past tense, taken past tense, tane past tense, take plural, took plural, takes plural, takes singular, take singular, took singular, takest singular, tookst singular, tookest singular, taketh singular

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Can you _____ the trash out before you leave?

Etymology

From Old English tacan, borrowed from Old Norse taka ("to touch, take"), from a Germanic root meaning "to touch."

Synonyms

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appropriate bag annex catch expropriate grab grasp grip help oneself hook impropriate make free with

Antonyms

give return

Related Words

abdicate add achieve kill give catch separate bag

Rhymes for take

ake make rake wake cake lake sake bake fake jake Dake snake

See all rhymes for take →

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appropriate bag annex catch expropriate grab grasp grip help oneself hook impropriate make free with