gave

8 synonyms and 3 antonyms for gave, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Verb — Past tense of give: handed over, provided or transferred something to someone.

Synonyms

Everyday swaps

Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.

handed provided granted delivered

Less common

Still standard English, but they carry more weight.

donated

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

supplied caused produced

Synonyms by Meaning

1. verb

Past tense of give: handed over, provided or transferred something to someone.

“He gave her his coat when it started raining.”

handed provided donated supplied granted

Opposites

took received withheld

2. verb

Past tense of give in the sense of causing, producing or delivering something, as in an action, feeling or performance.

“The news gave us all a shock.”

caused produced delivered

How to use gave

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

gave up gave in gave away gave birth gave rise to

Give is irregular: give, gave, given. Gave is the simple past and never follows have — it is "has given", not "has gave".

Etymology

From Old English giefan, of Germanic origin, reinforced by Old Norse gefa.

Full origin of gave →

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between gave and given?

Gave is the simple past and stands alone: "I gave it to him yesterday." Given is the past participle and needs an auxiliary verb: "I have given it to him," or "it was given to him." Saying "I have gave" is a common but nonstandard error.

What does "it gave" mean in slang?

In recent internet slang, mainly from drag and Black American English, "it gave" plus a noun means something projected a particular vibe — "it gave main character energy". Used alone and approvingly, "it gave" means it delivered.

People also searched

took received provided granted delivered handed donated withheld

Nearby words

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