verb
escape
ih-SKAYP
verb
1
To get free from confinement, danger, or an unpleasant situation.
"Two prisoners escaped from the facility overnight."
"She escaped the burning building just in time."
2
To avoid something unpleasant, such as punishment or notice.
"He narrowly escaped a hefty fine by paying the parking ticket late."
noun
1
The act of getting free from a dangerous, confining, or unwanted situation.
"The escape was planned for months in advance."
"A weekend at the coast felt like a much-needed escape from work."
How to Use Escape
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo get away from something — danger, confinement, notice, or just the stress of daily life.
Common pairings
escape from prison
narrow escape
escape route
weekend escape
Word Forms
escaped past tense, escapes plural, escapes singular
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Etymology
From Old French eschaper, ultimately from Vulgar Latin *excappāre — literally "to get out of one's cape," from Latin ex- ("out") plus cappa ("cloak"). The image is of slipping out of a garment to get away.