Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to get rid of

to get rid of

∞ 1.6
To remove or throw away something you do not want
  • phrasal verb
  • /ɡɛt rɪd ʌv/
translation icon : deshacerse de
  • To keep your room tidy, you should get rid of items you no longer use.
  • want to get rid of
  • help get rid of
  • just get rid of

It's to spit to expel, to get rid of, right?

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • How far would she go to get rid of anything in her way?

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Seriously, get rid of those accounts on your feed.

  • You trying to get rid of me already?

    Werewolf Cabal (2022)

  • And I know you were planning to get rid of me.

    Jacket (2018)

  • I was going to get rid of him.

    Wuthering Heights (1970)

  • We're going to get rid of his double chin.

  • I'm going to get rid of all of this stuff.

  • Let's get rid of some of this crap.

    The Front Page (1974)

  • Bilbao is breaking with the past by getting rid of its material remains.

    Academic text (1999)

  • "We can't do anything until we get rid of some of that smell.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

to remove
vsto get rid of
∞ 1.5

To move something or someone away from a place

is broader, also covering ending habits or abstract things
to take out
vsto get rid of
948 1.9

To remove something from a place or container

is broader and includes ending or stopping, not only moving things
to eliminate
vsto get rid of
  • NSFW
502 3.4

Remove or kill something completely so it is gone

is a general act that may not mean total destruction
to throw away
vsto get rid of
477 1.8

To get rid of something you do not want, for example by putting it in the bin

is broader, also meaning stopping or ending things, not only binning
to throw out
vsto get rid of
202 1.8

To put something in the trash because you do not want it

is broader, covering rules or people as well as objects
to wipe out
vsto get rid of
189 4.2

Destroy something so nothing is left

is more general and can mean simple disposal rather than total destruction
to take it away
vsto get rid of
136 3.2

To remove something unwanted from a place

is broader and also applies to ideas or people
to shed
vsto get rid of
131 3.5

To get rid of something you do not need

is broader and includes forced or formal ending too
to discard
vsto get rid of
130 2.7

To throw something away because you no longer want or need it

is broader, covering people, ideas, or formal exclusion too
to clear out
vsto get rid of
91 3.1

Remove all things from a place so it becomes empty

is broader and also covers single objects or abstract things
to do away with
vsto get rid of
88 3.7

Remove something so it is no longer used

is a broad term for making something disappear in many ways
to eradicate
vsto get rid of
85 6.6

Remove something harmful completely, for example a disease or pest

is broader and can mean making something disappear without full destruction
to exterminate
vsto get rid of
  • NSFW
60 6.9

To destroy something completely, often on purpose

is stronger and usually implies killing rather than simple clearing
to dispose of
vsto get rid of
56 4.1

Deal with and finish a problem or task so it no longer causes trouble

is the general idea of making something disappear by any method
to purge
vsto get rid of
49 6.3

To remove unwanted substances, things, or people by cleaning

is broader and can be less forceful in tone
to shake off
vsto get rid of
41 3.6

Make something unwanted go away, like an illness, a feeling, or a person following you

is broader, covering ending of objects or formal cessation
to toss out
vsto get rid of
39 2.7

To throw away things you do not want

is broader, covering planned or formal ways to make something disappear
to weed out
vsto get rid of
37 3.8

To remove unwanted people or things from a group

is broader and includes casual single item disposal too
to trash
vsto get rid of
  • US
34 1.0

To throw away something you no longer want

is broader, also covering ending practices or excluding people
to dispel
vsto get rid of
29 4.6

To make a feeling or idea go away

is broader and applies to objects or people, not only thoughts
to banish
vsto get rid of
27 6.1

Make a thought or feeling go away so it stops bothering you

is broader and includes nonpersonal or physical methods too
to strip away
vsto get rid of
27 4.0

Remove an outside layer or covering from something to show what is under it

is broader and also covers sudden complete clearing
to dispense with
vsto get rid of
24 6.3

To stop using something because you do not need it

is broader and also covers physical relocation or exclusion
to expunge
vsto get rid of
21 8.8

To remove all signs of something like a record or memory so it cannot be found

is broader and applies to objects too, not only records
to extinguish
vsto get rid of
21 5.5

End something completely, for example a custom or a debt

is broader and also covers physical clearing or exclusion as well
to clean out
vsto get rid of
  • Informal
10 3.6

Remove people completely from a place or group because they are unwanted

is more general, applying to items or nonphysical ending too
to clear away
vsto get rid of
10 1.8

To take things away from a place to make it tidy

is broader, also meaning ending habits or ideas
to clear off
vsto get rid of
8 3.0

Remove things from a surface to make it empty or clean

is broader and can mean stopping or abolishing things as well
to wash away
vsto get rid of
7 4.3

To make people forget and stop caring about something

is broader and includes active clearing, not just ignoring
to toss away
vsto get rid of
5 2.0

To throw something away because you no longer want or need it

is more general and is not only casual binning
to cast away
vsto get rid of
4 4.1

To throw away things you no longer want

is broader and also applies to people, ideas, or formal abolition
to cast off
vsto get rid of
3 4.8

To get rid of something you do not want or need

is broader and usually covers any method that ends its use
to sweep away
vsto get rid of
1 3.9

To destroy or carry something away completely, for example by water

is broader and can mean just clearing rather than total destruction
to throw overboard
vsto get rid of
1 6.0

To reject or get rid of something no longer needed

is broader and also covers quiet or private ways to end things
to extirpate
vsto get rid of
  • Formal
1 9.9

To destroy something completely, including its root

is broader and may mean simple clearing rather than root destruction
to slough off
vsto get rid of
1 7.5

To get rid of something unwanted, for example a bad habit or a weak branch

is more general and not limited to biological shedding
to chuck out
vsto get rid of
  • UK
1 5.0

To force someone to leave a place usually because they cause trouble

is broader and can mean ending roles or excluding items quietly

Antonyms

to keep
∞ 1.0

To continue doing something or stay in the same state

How Complete

to eradicate
85 6.6
to get rid of
∞ 1.6
to dispose of
56 4.1
to put away
225 2.0
to set aside
87 3.4

Surface Forms

get rid of infinitive
getting rid of present participle
gets rid of third person singular
got rid of past
got rid of past participle

Morphology

get + rid + of

The sense 'to remove or dispose of' follows directly from combining 'get' (become/obtain) with 'rid' (make free from) plus the preposition 'of' — if a learner knows 'rid' as 'free from', they can infer that 'get rid of' means 'cause to be free of' or 'remove'. This compositional pattern has clear equivalents in many languages (e.g. Spanish 'deshacerse de', French 'se débarrasser de'), so the meaning is predictable for B1 learners who know the constituents.

Etymology

Get rid of may come from the simple image of taking something you do not want and getting it away so you are rid of it. That's why get rid of means 'to remove' or 'throw away' something unwanted.