verb

gave

gayv

Gave (verb) means past tense of give: handed over, provided or transferred something to someone. Example: “He gave her his coat when it started raining.”

verb

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

"He gave her his coat when it started raining."

"The council gave the club a three-year grant."

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."

"She gave a talk on coastal erosion."

How to Use Gave

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe past tense of give.

When to use it

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

Memory tip

There is no such word as gived. Use gave for the simple past and given after have, has or had.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

given → have gave gived

Common pairings

gave up gave in gave away gave birth gave rise to

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

He _____ her his coat when it started raining.

Etymology

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

Origin: English

Synonyms

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handed provided donated supplied granted caused produced delivered

Antonyms

took received withheld

Related Words

got Took received sent included provided saved providing

Rhymes for gave

ave save have wave cave nave pave rave fave Dave weave leave

See all rhymes for 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.

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got Took received sent included provided saved providing