take away

Friendly

The phrase "take away" is a verb in English that has several meanings and uses. Here’s an easy-to-understand explanation:

Basic Definition:

1. To Remove: "Take away" means to remove something from a place or from someone. For example, if you take away the dirty dishes from a table, you are removing them from the table.
2. To Diminish: It can also mean to lessen or reduce something. For example, if someone's bad manners take away from their good character, it means their bad manners reduce the positive impression they create.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "take away" when you want to describe the action of removing something physically or when discussing how something reduces the quality of another thing.

Examples:

• Physical Removal: "Please take away the trash from the kitchen."
• Diminishing Quality: "His rudeness takes away from his talent as a musician."

Advanced Usage:

• In more complex sentences, "take away" can be used in a figurative sense. For example, "The tragic event took away her happiness," meaning that the event caused a loss of happiness.

Word Variants:

• Takeaway (noun): This can refer to the main point or lesson learned from something. For example, "The takeaway from the meeting was that we need to work harder."
• Taking away (gerund): This form is used to describe the action of removing something. For example, "Taking away distractions can help you focus better."

Different Meanings:

• Food Context: "Take away" is often used in the context of food, especially in British English, meaning to buy food from a restaurant to eat at home. For example, "Let’s order take away for dinner."
• Emotional Context: It can also refer to removing emotional burdens or obstacles, e.g., "The counselor helped take away her fears about the future."

Synonyms:

• Remove
• Eliminate
• Withdraw
• Diminish
• Subtract

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• Carry away: To be so involved in something that you lose control over your feelings or actions. Example: "I got carried away at the party and danced all night."
• Take out: Similar to "take away," meaning to remove something or to get food for consumption elsewhere. Example: "We’ll take out some sushi for dinner tonight."

Summary:

"Take away" is a versatile phrase that can mean to physically remove something, to lessen something's quality, or even to refer to food that is bought to eat elsewhere.

Academic

Verb

1. take away a part from; diminish
   • His bad manners detract from his good character
2. get rid of something abstract
   • The death of her mother removed the last obstacle to their marriage
   • God takes away your sins
3. buy and consume food from a restaurant or establishment that sells prepared food
   • We'll take out pizza, since I am too tired to cook
4. take from a person or place
   • We took the abused child away from its parents
5. take out or remove
   • take out the chicken after adding the vegetables
6. remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
   • remove a threat
   • remove a wrapper
   • Remove the dirty dishes from the table
   • take the gun from your pocket
   • This machine withdraws heat from the environment
7. remove from a certain place, environment, or mental or emotional state; transport into a new location or state
   • Their dreams carried the Romantics away into distant lands
   • The car carried us off to the meeting
   • I'll take you away on a holiday
   • I got carried away when I saw the dead man and I started to cry

Synonyms

• detract
• remove
• take out
• take
• withdraw
• bear off
• bear away
• carry away
• carry off