Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to give the sack

to give the sack

5.9
To tell someone they must leave their job
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
translation icon : despedir
  • After making several mistakes, the manager finally gave the sack to the careless employee.

Examples

  • Rumors spread quickly when the company gave the sack to five of its workers last week.

  • Don't give the sack to anyone without proper notice!

  • If you keep arriving late, they might give the sack to you.

  • They gave the sack to John yesterday.

  • After making several mistakes, the manager finally gave the sack to the careless employee.

  • If you keep arriving late, they might give the sack to you.

  • Rumors spread quickly when the company gave the sack to five of its workers last week.

Synonyms

to fire
vsto give the sack
∞ 2.8

To officially make someone leave their job

covers the same removal but used as an informal idiom
to let go
vsto give the sack
852 3.8

To stop employing someone so they lose their job

is an idiom that conveys the same casual dismissal idea
to throw out
vsto give the sack
236 3.0

To force someone to leave a place, job, or group

is the idiomatic job removal that usually targets employment specifically
to terminate
vsto give the sack
  • Formal
90 5.5

To make someone stop working for a company

is the informal idiomatic way to describe that formal act
to lay off
vsto give the sack
87 3.3

Stop employing someone because the company cannot afford them, not because of bad work

is an idiom that does not imply economic reasons for ending work
to dismiss
vsto give the sack
70 3.3

To remove someone from their job

is a colloquial idiom rather than a neutral formal term
to force out
vsto give the sack
46 4.4

To make someone leave a job by pressure or threats

describes dismissal without implying coercion or threats
to send away
vsto give the sack
43 3.0

Make someone leave a job or group because of a problem

is the employment idiom focused on job dismissal specifically
to sack
vsto give the sack
  • UK
37 3.5

To make someone leave their job

is a synonymous idiom used for the same dismissal action
to can
vsto give the sack
  • Informal
33 7.7

To fire someone from their job in informal speech

is the idiomatic phrase expressing that casual act
to boot out
vsto give the sack
  • Informal
15 5.8

Force someone to leave a job or organization suddenly

is an idiom that can be sudden but is more neutral here
to give (someone) the boot
vsto give the sack
  • Informal
12 7.4

To stop someone from working at their job, usually because of bad work or behavior

is the standard idiom expressing that same removal
to give the heave-ho
vsto give the sack
  • Informal
4 8.5

To tell someone to leave their job or to stop using something

is a milder idiomatic way to say the same removal
to send someone packing
vsto give the sack
  • Informal
4 7.9

Make someone leave quickly and forcefully

is an idiom for dismissal but with less force implied
to give notice
vsto give the sack
  • Formal
2 4.1

Formally tell an employee that their job will end

is an idiomatic expression for dismissal, not the formal notice process
to give (someone) the sack
vsto give the sack
  • UK
1 5.2

To make someone leave their job, often as punishment or during job cuts

is the shorter idiomatic form of that same dismissal phrase
to sack someone
vsto give the sack
  • UK
4.8

To stop employing someone, often suddenly as punishment

describes dismissal more generally without stressing abruptness
to give the axe
vsto give the sack
  • UK
7.4

To suddenly end someone's job or a relationship, often without warning

is a common informal phrase for dismissal without added drama
to hand someone their hat
vsto give the sack
  • Informal
8.7

Fire someone from their job

is a straightforward idiom for the same forced departure

Antonyms

to hire
∞ 1.4

To give someone a job and pay them for their work

to retain
236 3.4

To keep having something such as a job or possession

How Severe

to give the sack
  • UK
5.9
to suspend
  • Formal
289 4.2
to demote
37 5.6
to read the riot act
  • Informal
1 7.9

Surface Forms

give the sack infinitive
gave the sack past
given the sack past participle
giving the sack present participle
gives the sack third person singular

Morphology

give + the + sack

Given that the constituent 'sack' is listed with the meaning 'termination of employment', the phrase 'give the sack' is compositionally derived by the regular 'give + noun' pattern (to give someone that state). A B1 learner who knows these constituent meanings would therefore be able to infer the idiom's meaning as 'to dismiss/fire someone'.

Etymology

Give the sack may come from old workplaces where a worker who was fired was literally handed a bag of their things, a sack, and told to leave. That's why give the sack now means 'to dismiss someone from their job'.