to take after
2
3.5
- phrasal verb
- /teɪk ˈæftər/
:
imitar
- Many people take after their parents when it comes to career choices and hobbies.
So he's a big inspiration to to take after.
- So he's a big inspiration to to take after.
- You may be following a path that others have taken and that others will take after you, but nobody sees it the way you do.
Examples
-
I had painted it for one of my high school art classes, the ones I had started taking after the last time Mindy and I had talked.
Fiction book (2000) -
You ladies take after me, you might turn into real men.
-
"I'd prefer to see him take after your doctoring skills," Cheryl said.
Fiction book (1999) -
She wants to take after her grandmother by becoming a talented artist.
-
He takes after his father in his love for music and storytelling.
Synonyms
186
2.7
Copy the way someone speaks, looks, or acts
177
1.0
Do something the same way someone else does
77
3.1
To copy someone's actions or voice to make people laugh
59
6.0
To try to be as good as someone by copying what they do
28
3.4
To do the same job as someone who came before you, for example a parent
1
4.1
Copy what someone does to get the same results
Antonyms
How Imitative
Surface Forms
Morphology
take + after
There is a detectable link between 'take' (to adopt or receive) and 'after' (following), so a learner might infer a sense of following or copying from the constituents. However, the specific phrasal-verb sense of resembling or emulating someone is a conventionalized extension not fully predictable from the literal parts, so learners typically need some exposure to be sure of the meaning.
Etymology
Take after can also come from the idea of a younger person choosing to copy someone they admire, with the parts take and after suggesting 'taking' habits 'after' another person. That's why it can mean 'to imitate'.