take
TAYK
Take (verb) means to reach out and get hold of something, or to remove or carry it away. Example: “She took the book off the shelf.”
verb
1
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?"
2
To accept, receive, or consume something offered.
"He took the job offer without hesitation."
"Take two tablets with water."
3
To require a certain amount of time, effort, or resources.
"The drive takes about three hours."
noun
1
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 notesIn 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
Common pairings
take a break
take place
take time
take offense
a hot take
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Word forms
- Plural
- takes
- Third person singular
- takes
- Past tense
- took, taken, tane
- Archaic forms
- takest, tookst, tookest, taketh
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
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for take
See all rhymes for take →Frequently asked questions
What does “take” mean?
The word “take” means to reach out and get hold of something, or to remove or carry it away. In plain terms, to 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).
How do you pronounce “take”?
“Take” is pronounced TAYK (/ˈteɪ̯k/ in IPA).
How do you use “take” in a sentence?
Here is “take” used in a sentence: “Can you take the trash out before you leave?”
What is another word for “take”?
Words with a similar meaning to “take” include appropriate, bag, annex, catch, expropriate and grab.
What is the opposite of “take”?
The opposite of “take” — its antonyms — are give and return.
What part of speech is “take”?
Depending on how it is used, “take” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “take” come from?
The word “take” comes from Old English. From Old English tacan, borrowed from Old Norse taka ("to touch, take"), from a Germanic root meaning "to touch.".
Is “take” a common word?
“Take” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
What is the difference between take and bring?
Both describe carrying something, but the direction differs. 'Bring' means to carry something toward the speaker or the place being discussed, as in 'bring it here.' 'Take' means to carry it away from that point, as in 'take it there.' Think of 'bring' as coming and 'take' as going, relative to where you are.
Is 'take' an irregular verb?
Yes. 'Take' does not follow the regular -ed pattern. Its past tense is 'took' and its past participle is 'taken,' as in 'she took the keys' and 'he had taken them.' The present participle is 'taking.' These forms must be memorised rather than worked out from a rule.
What are the different meanings of 'take'?
'Take' is one of English's most flexible verbs. Beyond grasping or carrying something away, it can mean to accept ('take advice'), to require ('it takes time'), to travel by ('take the bus'), to record ('take notes'), or to consume ('take medicine'). The following words decide the exact sense.
What is an example of 'take' in a sentence?
'Please take these books to the library' shows the core sense of carrying something away. 'She reached out to take his hand' shows getting hold of something. 'Take an umbrella in case it rains' shows removing an object and carrying it with you as you go.
Example sentences
Real-world examples showing take in context, drawn from published sources. Any opinions expressed are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.
Pep Guardiola's intention remains to take "at least one year" out of the game despite being approached to take over the vacant Italy coaching job, a source told ESPN.
From
ESPN · Jul 25, 2026
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