Away — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adverb adjective /ə-ˈwā/

Meaning & Definition of Away

Away (adverb)

  1. on the way, along
  2. from this or that place
  3. in a secure place or manner

Away (adjective)

  1. absent from a place, gone
  2. distant in space or time
  3. played on an opponent's grounds

Away (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. from this or that place

    "don't walk away while I'm still talking to you"

    similar: down, fro, hence, off, out
    related: apart, aside, elsewhere, abroad, afar, afield, astray

Away (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. not close in time or space

    "the store is far away from here"

    "Passover is still three months away"

    similar: deep, distant, far, far-flung, far-off, faraway, remote, removed
    related: apart, devious, isolated, lonesome, nowhere, obscure, odd, outlying, out-of-the-way, retired, secluded, secret, sequestered
    opposite: close, near, nearby, nigh
    near: adjacent, adjoining, contiguous

  2. not at a certain place

    "he's away right now, but he should be back at the office next week"

    similar: absent, missing, out
    related: AWOL, truant, departed, gone, retired, abroad, vacationing
    opposite: here, in, present
    near: accompanying, attending, participating

Related Entry: Back away (verb)

Back away is a different word from Away. The synonyms below are for back away, not for away.

  1. to move back or away (as from something difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable)

    "backed away from the snake very slowly and carefully"

    similar: drop back, fall back, pull out, recede, retire, retreat, withdraw, give ground, give way, lose ground
    related: flee, fly, flinch, recoil, shrink, chicken (out), bow out, back down, backpedal, backtrack, climb down, detach, disengage, disentangle, pull away, abandon, depart, evacuate, go, leave, quit, vacate
    opposite: advance
    near: beard, brave, brazen, breast, confront, dare, defy, face, outbrave

Related Entry: Bang away (verb)

Bang away is a different word from Away. The synonyms below are for bang away, not for away.

  1. to devote serious and sustained effort

    "the design team has been banging away at that project for months"

    similar: beaver (away), dig (away), drudge, endeavor, fag, grub, hump, hustle, labor, moil, peg (away), plod, plow, plug, slave, slog, strain, strive, struggle, sweat, toil, travail, tug, work, sweat blood
    related: apply (oneself), buckle (down), dig in, hammer (away), knuckle down, pitch in, attack, drive, essay, try, exercise, exert, overexert, overwork, eke out, grind (out), put out, scrabble, scratch, trudge, wade
    near: break, ease (up), let up, slacken, bum, chill, dally, dillydally, footle, goldbrick, goof (off), hack (around), hang (around or out), idle, laze, loaf, lounge, shirk, slack (off), veg out, bask, loll, relax, repose, rest, unwind, dabble, doodle, fool around, fribble, goof (around), hang, hang about (British), mess around, monkey (around), play, potter (around), putter (around), trifle

Related Entry: Blow away (verb)

Blow away is a different word from Away. The synonyms below are for blow away, not for away.

  1. to defeat by a large margin

    "the chess prodigy completely blew away the reigning world champion"

    similar: annihilate, bomb, bury, clobber, cream, drub, dust, flatten, paste, rout, shellac, skin, skunk, smoke (slang), smother, snow under, thrash, trim, tromp, trounce, wallop, wax (slang), whip, whomp, whop, whup, beat the pants off, eat alive, run circles around, wipe the floor with
    related: sweep, upset, beat, best, conquer, dispatch, hurdle, lick, master, overbear, overcome, overmatch, prevail (over), subdue, surmount, take, throw, triumph (over), win (against), worst, crush, knock off, knock over, overpower, overthrow, overwhelm, subjugate, upend, vanquish, ace (out), better, eclipse, exceed, outdistance, outdo, outfight, outshine, outstrip, overtop, surpass, top, transcend, edge (out), nose out, pip (British), cap, excel, flourish, score, succeed, break, destroy, do in, finish, sink, slaughter

Related Entry: Carry away (verb)

Carry away is a different word from Away. The synonyms below are for carry away, not for away.

  1. to fill with overwhelming emotion (as wonder or delight)

    "the beauty of the music carried him away"

    similar: enrapture, enthrall, entrance, rap, rapture, ravish, transport, knock dead, knock one's socks off
    related: delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy, bewitch, captivate, charm, enchant, fascinate, elate, excite, exhilarate, stir

Related Entry: Explain away (verb)

Explain away is a different word from Away. The synonyms below are for explain away, not for away.

  1. to give the reason for or cause of

    "after the surprise attack, military leaders struggled to explain away the nation's unpreparedness"

    similar: account (for), attribute, explain, rationalize
    related: condone, excuse, forgive, justify, absolve, acquit, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate

  2. to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses

    "tried to explain away his adulterous affairs by saying that men are promiscuous by nature"

    similar: deodorize, excuse, extenuate, gloss (over), gloze (over), palliate, whitewash
    related: sugarcoat, varnish, apologize, atone, confess, account (for), explain, justify, rationalize, minimize, play down, soft-pedal, alleviate, ease, lessen, lighten, mitigate, moderate, soften, temper, absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate

Related Entry: Fall away (verb)

Fall away is a different word from Away. The synonyms below are for fall away, not for away.

  1. to grow less in scope or intensity especially gradually

    "as the years went by, the public's interest in the murder case fell away"

    similar: abate, de-escalate, decline, decrease, die (away or down or out), diminish, drain (away), drop (off), dwindle, ease, ebb, fall, lessen, let up, lower, moderate, pall, phase down, ratchet (down), recede, relent, remit, shrink, subside, taper, taper off, wane
    related: compress, condense, constrict, contract, evaporate, fade (away), fritter (away), give out, melt (away), peter (out), tail (off), vanish, slacken, slow (down), alleviate, relax, flag, sink, weaken, cave (in), collapse, deflate
    opposite: accumulate, balloon, build, burgeon, enlarge, escalate, expand, grow, increase, intensify, mount, mushroom, pick up, rise, snowball, soar, swell, wax
    near: appear, emerge, show up, blow up, distend, elongate, lengthen

Related Entry: Far and away (adverb)

Far and away is a different word from Away. The synonyms below are for far and away, not for away.

  1. by a considerable margin

    "that Mexican restaurant is far and away the best in the area"

    similar: head and shoulders, by all odds, by a long shot, by far, by half
    related: decidedly, definitely, really, undoubtedly, unquestionably, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially, well
    near: barely, hardly, just, marginally, scarcely, slightly, minimally, minutely

Related Entry: Fiddle away (verb)

Fiddle away is a different word from Away. The synonyms below are for fiddle away, not for away.

  1. to use up carelessly

    "fiddled away the entire evening surfing the Internet"

    similar: blow, dissipate, fritter (away), lavish, lose, misspend, run through, spend, squander, throw away, trifle (away), waste, play ducks and drakes with
    related: splurge, consume, deplete, exhaust, impoverish, overspend, shoot, indulge, overindulge, disburse, expend, lay out
    opposite: conserve
    near: economize, scrimp, skimp, preserve, protect, save, hoard, lay up

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Away

The most common words with a similar meaning to Away:

down, fro, hence, off, out, deep, distant, far, far-flung, far-off, faraway, remote, removed, absent, missing

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Away

Words with the opposite meaning of Away:

close, near, nearby, nigh, here, in, present

Related Words for Away

apart, aside, elsewhere, abroad, afar, afield, astray, devious, isolated, lonesome, nowhere, obscure, odd, outlying, out-of-the-way, retired, secluded, secret, sequestered, AWOL, truant, departed, gone, vacationing

Near Antonyms of Away

adjacent, adjoining, contiguous, accompanying, attending, participating

Word Forms of Away

Derived words: awayness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Away

First known use: before 12th century

Words & Phrases Containing Away

away from home, away strip, back away, bang away, bash away, blow away, break away, carry away

Frequently Asked Questions about Away

What does "Away" mean?

"Away" means on the way, along. As an an adverb and an adjective, it is defined as: on the way, along. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Away"?

Other words for "Away" include down, fro, hence, off, out, deep, distant and far. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Away" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Away"?

There are 39 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Away". Common alternatives include down, fro, hence, off, out, deep, distant, far, far-flung and far-off.

What is the opposite of "Away"?

Antonyms of "Away" include close, near, nearby, nigh, here, in and present. Near antonyms include adjacent, adjoining, contiguous and accompanying.

How do you use "Away" in a sentence?

Examples of "Away" in a sentence: "don't walk away while I'm still talking to you"; "the store is far away from here"; "Passover is still three months away".

Is "Away" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Away" can be used as an adverb and an adjective, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Away"?

"Away" is pronounced /ə-ˈwā/.

What is the origin of the word "Away"?

First known use: before 12th century.