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take

/teɪk/
verb★Beginner— to hold or grasp something
general

to hold or grasp something

He took the pen and started writing.

He held the pen and began to write.

💡

Commonly used in everyday contexts.

general

to accept or receive something

She took the gift with a smile.

She accepted the gift with a smile.

💡

Often used for receiving items or offers.

general

to remove or extract something

He took a picture of the landscape.

He captured a picture of the landscape.

💡

Used for capturing images or removing items.

general

to require or need a certain amount of time

The journey will take two hours.

The journey will require two hours.

💡

Used to indicate the duration of an activity.

general

to choose or select something

She took the red dress.

She chose the red dress.

💡

Used for making a selection.

Collocations

take a breakto stop working for a short timetake a chanceto do something riskytake a lookto glance at somethingtake a pictureto photograph somethingtake a showerto wash oneself in the shower

Synonyms

graspholdacceptreceiveremovechooseselect

Antonyms

givereleaserefuseignore

Related Phrases

take it easyphrase
to relax
take a standphrase
to express a strong opinion
take a tollphrase
to have a negative effect
take a bowphrase
to acknowledge applause
take a rain checkphrase
to postpone an invitation

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

'Take' is often used with prepositions like 'for', 'to', and 'with' to indicate direction or purpose.

⚡Gold Rule

Context Matters

The meaning of 'take' can vary greatly depending on the context, so pay attention to the surrounding words.

📖Word Origin

Old English 'tacan', from Proto-Germanic 'takōnan', meaning 'to touch or grasp'.

📝Usage Notes

The verb 'take' is highly versatile and can be used in various contexts, including physical actions, receiving, removing, and requiring time. It is one of the most common verbs in English.

Word Breakdown

take
to hold or grasp
root
English Dictionary

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