away
Americanadverb
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from this or that place; off.
to go away.
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aside; to another place; in another direction.
to turn your eyes away; to turn away customers
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far; apart.
away back; away from the subject.
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out of one's possession or use.
to give money away.
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out of existence or notice; into extinction.
to fade away; to idle away the morning.
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incessantly or relentlessly; repeatedly.
He kept hammering away.
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without hesitation.
Fire away.
adjective
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absent; gone.
to be away from home.
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distant.
six miles away.
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immediately off and on the way.
The order was given and he was away.
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Sports. played in a ball park, arena, or the like, other than the one that is or is assumed to be the center of operations of a team.
winners in their last three away games.
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Baseball. having been put out.
with two away in the top of the seventh.
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Golf.
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(of a golf ball) lying farthest from the hole.
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(of a golfer) having hit such a ball and being required to play first.
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verb phrase
idioms
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where away? (of something sighted from a ship) in which direction? where?
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away with,
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take away.
Away with him!
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go away! leave!.
Away with you!
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adverb
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from a particular place; off
to swim away
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in or to another, usual, or proper place
to put toys away
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apart; at a distance
to keep away from strangers
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out of existence
the music faded away
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indicating motion, displacement, transfer, etc, from a normal or proper place, from a person's own possession, etc
to turn one's head away
to give away money
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indicating activity that is wasteful or designed to get rid of something
to sleep away the hours
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continuously
laughing away
fire away
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a command for a person to go or be removed
away with you
away with him to prison!
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by a very great margin
far and away the biggest meal he'd ever eaten
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from a part of Canada other than Newfoundland
adjective
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not present
away from school
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distant
he is a good way away
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having started; released
he was away before sunrise
bombs away!
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(also prenominal) sport played on an opponent's ground
an away game
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golf (of a ball or player) farthest from the hole
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baseball (of a player) having been put out
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horse racing relating to the outward portion or first half of a race
noun
interjection
Etymology
Origin of away
First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English aweg, reduction of on weg; equivalent to a- 1 + way 1
Explanation
When something is away it’s not here or even nearby — it’s at a distance, like a friend who is on vacation in another country. The word away describes something distant or removed from where you are. For example, when a sports team plays in another city or stadium outside of their hometown, it's called an "away game." Similarly, an item tossed in the trash is “thrown away.” The word also describes emotional distance, like when someone “drifts away” over time, meaning they aren't as close as they used to be in a relationship.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“So to have peers that share a similar upbringing as you — you walk away with a friendship most of the time because you have stuff in common.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Reporters, to their credit, refused and walked out rather than sign away their independence.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
"After my mum passed away, I found myself returning frequently to west Wales, where our family is from," he told BBC Wales.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
The agency set up a relay connecting radar scopes to the Long Island facility, more than 100 miles away.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
“Your grandpa was the strongest man. That’s what I thought when I was nine. Newly freed, we walked away from the only land we’d ever known.”
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.