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to go away

to go away

709 1.0
To leave a place or person and go somewhere else
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡoʊ əˈweɪ/
translation icon : irse
  • During the argument, she told him to just go away and leave her alone.
  • say 'go away'
  • ordered to go away

You don't give him the staircase and he goes away, right?

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Examples

  • Go away, back where you belong!

  • That's when it sunk in that May Anna was going away, maybe for good.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I wanted just to go away, to run.

  • It's like you go away from the people you love.

  • Just take it and go as far away as you can.

  • Maybe we can go away somewhere?

  • Better yet, just go away.

  • OK, so let's go away to our next location.

  • I've told her to go away three times, OK.

  • Lizzy heard her mother open the bedroom door and then go away without speaking to her.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

to go
vsto go away
1.0

To move from one place to another, physically or in meaning

is the same basic action used in plain everyday contexts
to leave
vsto go away
1.0

To go away from a place, person, or group

is the everyday way to express simple departure without extra nuance
to get out
vsto go away
1.0

Leave a place or situation

is the general word for leaving without urgency or alarm
to get out of here
vsto go away
  • Informal
3.0

Leave a place quickly or suddenly

is the plain phrase for departing rather than a shocked or angry command
to escape
vsto go away
1.0

To get away from a place where you are kept or are in danger

is the ordinary act of leaving without the specific aim of avoiding danger
to go out
vsto go away
1.0

Leave a place to do a task, for example to help people

is broader and covers leaving for any reason, not only activities
to walk away
vsto go away
632 3.5

Leave a person, place, or situation without taking part anymore

is the general action of leaving without the deliberate detachment or finality
to run away
vsto go away
550 1.6

To leave secretly and quickly to get away from danger or control

is the general expression for leaving not implying escape or secrecy
to get away
vsto go away
374 3.2

To go away from work or home to rest and relax

is the plain action of departing without the specific aim of relaxation
to evacuate
vsto go away
344 4.1

To move people out of a place because it is dangerous, for example during a fire

is the ordinary leaving action, not specifically for emergency safety reasons
to take off
vsto go away
273 3.2

To leave a place quickly, often to travel somewhere else

is the simple neutral term for departing without suddenness or flair
to retreat
vsto go away
235 4.0

To move back from a place or plan to avoid danger

is the simple act of leaving rather than a strategic backward movement
to depart
vsto go away
176 1.3

To leave a place to start a journey

is more general and applies to leaving in many everyday contexts
to head out
vsto go away
167 2.5

To leave a place to start a trip

is the broad, everyday way to express leaving without trip focus
outta here
vsto go away
  • Informal
156 9.9

To leave a place quickly, often suddenly

is the simple everyday way to express leaving without slangy tone
to exit
vsto go away
125 1.0

To go out of a place or leave a situation

is the general phrase for leaving without focusing on specific route
to pull away
vsto go away
86 3.5

To move away from people or a place to create space

is the general act of leaving rather than a small physical separation
to walk off
vsto go away
  • Informal
37 3.5

To leave a place suddenly to show you are angry or upset

is the neutral way to express departure without anger or public protest
to take a hike
vsto go away
  • Informal
37 8.1

Tell someone to leave in a rude way

is the neutral expression for leaving without hostile or abusive intent
to slip away
vsto go away
32 3.4

To leave a place quietly without anyone noticing

is the neutral word for departing without the quiet secret nuance
to go forth
vsto go away
  • Archaic
24 8.4

To leave a place and move away

is the everyday expression for leaving without literary or formal tone
to quit
vsto go away
22 1.0

To leave a place and not return

is the simple act of leaving without implying permanent finality
to push off
vsto go away
  • Informal
14 6.8

Leave a place or start a journey

is the neutral term for leaving without the informal rude tone
to retreat from
vsto go away
13 4.4

To move back from a place or activity to avoid danger and trouble

is the general phrase for leaving not focused on tactical withdrawal
to shove off
vsto go away
  • Informal
12 7.7

Leave a place quickly, often in a rude way

is the neutral way to express departure without rudeness or contempt
to ride away
vsto go away
11 2.7

To go away while on a horse, bike, or motorcycle

is the general way to depart without specifying mode of movement
to take leave
vsto go away
  • Formal
5 3.9

Say goodbye to people and go away from a place politely

is the everyday act of leaving without the formal announcement or ritual
to rush away
vsto go away
2 2.5

Leave a place quickly because you are in a hurry

is the standard phrase for departing without emphasizing high speed
to take her leave
vsto go away
  • Formal
1 7.7

To say goodbye and leave politely

is the common expression for leaving without gendered or ceremonial tone
to go offski
vsto go away
  • Slang
9.9

To leave a place suddenly, usually to go somewhere else

is the standard term for departure without playful or slangy flavor
away with someone
vsto go away
  • UK
9.9

Tells someone angrily to go away

is the ordinary expression for leaving rather than a sharp command
away with you
vsto go away
  • UK
9.6

To tell someone to leave in a rude, angry way

is the simple phrase for leaving without being told to go forcibly

Antonyms

1.0

To remain in one place and not leave

1.0

To reach a place, especially at the end of a journey

How Permanent

to leave
1.0
to go away
709 1.0
to step out
234 2.3

Surface Forms

go away infinitive
went away past
gone away past participle
going away present participle
goes away third person singular

Morphology

go + away

The meaning 'to disappear or leave' is directly derivable from 'go' (move) + 'away' (to another place), following a common verb + particle motion construction. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically frequent and would be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Go away comes from a simple image: go, to move, and away, to another place. Imagine someone walking down a road and leaving your house. That's why it means 'to leave' or 'to depart'.