Away means to or at a distance from a place or person; not present or absent; in a different direction; or continuously and without stopping. It is most commonly an adverb, but also functions as an adjective in sport (an away game).
What Does Away Mean?
Away comes from Old English aweg (also written onweg), a contraction of on + weg meaning "on the way" or "onwards". It has been in continuous use since the earliest records of English and remains one of the most frequent adverbs in the language. The word entered its modern spelling in Middle English and has changed very little since then.
In everyday English, away carries four main senses. First, it signals movement or distance from a point: She walked away from the crowd. Second, it marks absence: He is away on business this week. Third, it indicates a change of direction or attention: She looked away when he caught her eye. Fourth, in combination with action verbs, it expresses continuous or persistent activity: They worked away all afternoon without a break.
Learners should note that away forms dozens of high-frequency phrasal verbs — give away, run away, put away, take away — each with distinct meanings that must be learned as separate vocabulary items. Understanding the core sense of "distance or departure from a point" will help you make educated guesses about unfamiliar combinations.
Example Sentences
| Sentence | Level & Usage note |
|---|---|
| She was away for a month but kept up with her English studies online. | A2 — away as predicate adjective meaning absent |
| The bus stop is only five minutes away, so we can walk there easily. | B1 — away expressing distance in time or space |
| When the teacher asked who had broken the window, the boy looked away and said nothing. | B1 — away indicating a change of direction |
| Although the team played an away fixture, they managed to secure a convincing three-nil victory. | B2 — away as pre-nominal adjective in sports context |
| She had been chipping away at the problem for weeks before she finally arrived at an elegant solution. | C1 — chip away at: phrasal verb expressing gradual, persistent effort |
Collocations
| Collocation | Meaning / Example |
|---|---|
| go away | to leave or travel; also to disappear — Go away and think about it. |
| run away | to flee from a person or situation — The dog ran away when it heard the fireworks. |
| get away | to escape, or to take a holiday — We need to get away for a few days. |
| put away | to store something in its proper place — Please put your phone away during class. |
| take away | to remove, or to subtract — Ten take away three equals seven. |
| give away | to donate, or to reveal a secret — Don't give away the ending! |
| throw away | to discard — Don't throw away the receipt. |
| look away | to turn one's gaze in a different direction — She looked away to hide her tears. |
| far away | at a great distance — The nearest hospital is far away. |
| right away | immediately — I'll deal with it right away. |
Usage Notes
Four Key Uses of Away
- Distance: Place away after a measurement or time phrase — two miles away, three weeks away. The measured element always comes first.
- Absence: Use away as a predicate adjective after be, stay, or keep — She is away, Stay away from the edge.
- Continuous action: Combine away with activity verbs to show sustained effort — work away, talk away, write away. This use is more common in informal and spoken British English.
- Sports adjective: Use away before nouns such as game, match, fixture, win, goal, or team — this use is essentially restricted to British and international football and other team sports.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
She went away to home after the party.
She went home after the party. (Do not use away to home — go home does not take away.)
The station is far from here away.
The station is far away from here. (away follows the adjective far, not the noun phrase.)
Please do right away this task.
Please do this task right away. (Right away is an adverbial phrase placed at the end or start of a sentence, never in mid-position between verb and object.)