INDEX:
1. to give something to someone without expecting to be paid for it
2. to give something to everyone in a group
3. to officially give something to someone
4. something that you give someone on a special occasion
5. to give money, food etc in order to help people
6. something that is given to help people who need it
7. to give something to someone in authority
8. to officially give control of something to someone else
9. to arrange for something to be given to someone after you die
10. to give something that you have received to someone
11. to give something to someone who had it before
12. to give someone something that you would prefer to keep
13. to give generously
14. when several people give some of the total money needed
15. to give something extra when someone buys something
16. to give someone something useless or that you do not want
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ TAKE
↑ GET
see also
↑ PROVIDE/SUPPLY
↑ SHARE
↑ GENEROUS/NOT GENEROUS
↑ EXCHANGE
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1. to give something to someone without expecting to be paid for it
▷ give /gɪv/ [transitive verb]
give somebody something
▪ I gave my nieces and nephews $20 each.
▪ Why don’t we give her some flowers for her birthday?
▪ Let me give you some advice.
▪ They gave me this leaflet - it’s really helpful.
▪ Can you give me a ride to the office tomorrow?
give something to somebody
▪ Would you give this letter to your uncle when you see him?
▪ Russell was accused of giving secret information to the enemy.
▷ let somebody have /ˌlet somebody ˈhæv/ [verb phrase not in passive]
to give something to someone, especially something that they have asked for or something that they need :
▪ She lets her kids have anything they want.
▪ One of my mum’s friends was getting a new sofa, and so she let us have the old one.
▪ If you could let me have your suggestions, it would be very helpful.
▷ give away /ˌgɪv əˈweɪ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give something that you own to someone else, especially because you do not want it or need it :
give away something
▪ I gave away most of my old furniture because I didn’t have room for it in my new apartment.
give something away
▪ He decided to give all his money away and become a Buddhist monk.
give something away to somebody
▪ I don’t need all this stuff - I’ll give it away to the first person who asks for it.
▷ pass /pɑːsǁpæs/ [transitive verb]
to give something to someone by putting it in their hand or putting it near them, especially because they cannot reach it themselves :
▪ Could you pass the salt, please?
pass somebody something
▪ Would you pass me my sweater? It’s on the back of your chair.
pass something to somebody
▪ Ellis quickly passed the note to the woman, looking around to check that no one had noticed.
▷ hand /hænd/ [transitive verb]
to take something in your hand and give it to someone by putting it in their hand :
hand somebody something
▪ The nurse handed me a glass of brown liquid and told me to drink it.
▪ As the delegates entered the room they were each handed a name-badge.
hand something to somebody
▪ Would you please hand your ticket to the man at the door.
▷ slip /slɪp/ [transitive verb]
to quickly give someone something small such as money or a piece of paper, by putting it into their hand, especially so that other people do not notice :
slip somebody something
▪ I know it’s a private party, but if you slip the doorman $5, he’ll let you in.
slip something into somebody’s hand/pocket etc
▪ During the meeting, she reached under the table and slipped a note into my hand.
▷ spare /speəʳ/ [transitive verb]
if you can spare a particular amount of something, you can only give that amount but no more because you need the rest for yourself :
▪ If anyone can spare a couple of hours a week to help out, it would be much appreciated.
▪ Dad, can you spare a fiver?
spare somebody something
▪ We don’t have very much coffee, I’m afraid, but we can spare you a little.
2. to give something to everyone in a group
▷ hand out/give out /ˌhænd ˈaʊt, ˌgɪv ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give something to all the people in a group :
hand out/give out something
▪ The princess plans to hand out gifts at a children’s hospital tomorrow.
▪ Don’t start the test until I’ve finished giving out the question papers.
hand/give out something to somebody
▪ Outside the embassy, students were handing out leaflets to everyone who walked past.
hand/give something out
▪ I need some volunteers to hand programs out tonight.
▷ pass around also pass round British /ˌpɑːs əˈraʊnd, ˌpɑːs ˈraʊndǁˌpæs-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
if a group of people pass something around, one person takes it and gives it to the next person, who then gives it to the next person :
pass around something
▪ They passed around a list, and we each had to sign our name.
pass something around
▪ Don’t keep all the chocolates to yourself - pass them around!
▷ distribute /dɪˈstrɪbjuːt/ [transitive verb]
to give things out to a large number of people, especially in an organized way :
▪ Aid agencies are calling for local volunteers to help them distribute food and medicine.
distribute something to somebody
▪ The Red Cross has started distributing food and blankets to villages in the flood area.
distribute something among somebody
▪ Medical supplies have been distributed among families affected by the epidemic.
▷ share out /ˌʃeər ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to divide something into equal parts and give a part to each person :
share out something
▪ As long as they share out the profits fairly, everyone will be happy.
share something out
▪ Take these cookies and share them out.
share out something among/between somebody
▪ We’ve got three pizzas to share out between five people.
▪ More than $1.7 million has been shared out among victims of the disaster.
▷ hand around also hand round British /ˌhænd əˈraʊnd, ˌhænd ˈraʊnd/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to go from person to person offering or politely giving them something such as a drink, food, etc :
hand around something
▪ Dorothy was handing around coffee and biscuits when we arrived.
▪ I’m handing round a summary of last week’s lecture.
hand something around
▪ Would you mind helping me hand the crackers around, please?
▷ serve /sɜːʳv/ [transitive verb]
to give food and drinks to people, for example at a restaurant or a party :
▪ Dinner will be served at 8.30.
▪ Don’t forget to serve the guests first.
serve something to somebody
▪ We don’t serve alcohol to anyone under 21.
serve somebody with something
▪ As soon as they sat down, they were served with steaming bowls of soup.
▷ dish out/dole out /ˌdɪʃ ˈaʊt, ˌdəʊl ˈaʊt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give something, especially food or money, to people who are waiting to receive it :
dish/dole out something
▪ They want me to dress up as Santa Claus, and dish out presents at the kids’ Christmas party.
▪ The federal government doles out $58 billion in student grants every year.
dish/dole something out
▪ Jo, would you dish the ice cream out?
dish/dole out something to somebody
▪ Air stewardesses were doling out meals to the passengers.
3. to officially give something to someone
▷ award /əˈwɔːʳd/ [transitive verb usually in passive]
to officially give someone something such as a prize, money etc, especially as a reward for their hard work or for something they have done :
award somebody something
▪ She was awarded the Nobel Prize for her work in medical research.
▪ The management have awarded all factory employees a 5% pay increase.
award somebody compensation/damages etc
▪ A woman who suffered brain damage during an operation has been awarded $300,000 in compensation.
award [countable noun]
▪ The award ceremony will be held at the National Film Theatre tonight.
▷ present /prɪˈzent/ [transitive verb]
to give someone something at an official ceremony :
present a prize/medal/trophy/certificate/award etc
▪ Who’s going to present the prizes this year?
▪ The trophy will be presented by last year’s winner, Brett Butler.
present something to somebody
▪ A little girl presented a basket of flowers to the President’s wife.
present somebody with something
▪ Last night Phil Donahue was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
presentation /ˌprez ə nˈteɪʃ ə nǁˌpriːzenˈteɪʃ ə n, -z ə n-/ [countable noun]
▪ Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer received the award at a star-studded presentation in London last night.
▷ grant /grɑːntǁgrænt/ [transitive verb]
to formally or officially give someone something that they have asked for, especially permission to do something :
▪ The company’s application to build a billion dollar leisure complex has been granted by city hall.
grant somebody something
▪ The authorities have refused to grant him a visa to visit the US.
grant somebody’s request
▪ I am pleased to inform you that your request for housing benefit has been granted.
▷ confer /kənˈfɜːʳ/ [transitive verb] formal
confer a degree/honour/title etc
to officially give someone a degree, honour etc especially as a reward for something they have achieved :
confer something on somebody
▪ The university has already conferred honorary degrees on several prime ministers.
confer on somebody something
▪ The President trusted him so much that he conferred on him the role of ‘Principal Advisor’.
▷ allocate /ˈæləkeɪt/ [transitive verb]
if someone in authority allocates something such as money, a house, a job etc to someone, they decide to give that person some of the money, or one of the houses, jobs etc that are available :
allocate something to somebody
▪ The company has allocated $1000 to the team to get the project started.
allocate somebody something
▪ Several single parent families have been allocated homes on the new site.
allocation /ˌæləˈkeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ The allocation of places at the university is based on candidates’ examination results.
▷ allotted /əˈlɒtɪd, əˈlɒtədǁəˈlɑːt-/ [adjective only before noun]
allotted money/time/space etc
the money, time etc that has been officially given or allowed to someone in order for them to do something :
▪ This department has already spent all its allotted budget.
▪ David wasn’t able to finish the task within the allotted time.
4. something that you give someone on a special occasion
▷ gift /gɪft/ [countable noun]
something that you give to someone as a sign of friendship, love, respect, or as part of a formal ceremony :
▪ These candlesticks would make a lovely gift.
▪ I got this jacket as a gift. I wouldn’t have chosen this color myself.
gift from
▪ In the hall was a magnificent vase, which was a gift from a Japanese businessman.
▪ It was a gift to the US from the Chinese people.
gift for
▪ I bought this CD as a gift for Jane, but she’s already got it.
birthday/graduation/wedding etc gift
especially American
▪ I’m going to go pick up a birthday gift for Uncle Warren, and then I’m going to go and see him.
gift shop
a shop that sells small things that are suitable for giving as gifts
▪ There’s a gift shop in the hotel. They have jewelry and souvenirs and stuff.
▷ present /ˈprez ə nt/ [countable noun]
something that you give to someone on a special occasion, for example on their birthday or when they leave their job :
▪ I’ve bought you all a present!
get a present
▪ How many birthday presents did you get?
present for
▪ He got a lot of expensive presents for his 21st birthday.
▪ ‘What’s this?’ ‘It’s a present for Valerie - she needs cheering up.’
present from
▪ The watch was a present from my mother.
Christmas/birthday/wedding etc present
▪ We can’t afford to spend much on Christmas presents this year.
▷ reward /rɪˈwɔːʳd/ [countable noun]
something, especially money, that you give someone because they have done something good or helpful :
reward of
▪ The parents of the missing boy are offering a reward of £10,000.
reward for
▪ The police say there is a $50,000 reward for any information that helps them find the killer.
▪ She got no reward for all the hard work she did.
5. to give money, food etc in order to help people
▷ give /gɪv/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to give money to an organization that will use it to help people who are poor, sick, in trouble etc :
▪ The British give animal welfare organizations over £200 million per year.
▪ Please give generously, these children need your help.
▪ We would be grateful for any donation that you are prepared to give.
give something to somebody
▪ Local people have given over $100,000 to our Help a Child appeal.
give to
▪ About a quarter of Britons regularly give to charity.
▷ donate /dəʊnˈneɪtǁˈdəʊneɪt/ [transitive verb]
to give money, or something useful or valuable, in order to help people - use this especially about things that are given by companies or organizations :
▪ The books were donated by a local publishing company.
donate something to something
▪ The concert organizers say they will donate all profits to charity.
▷ make a donation /ˌmeɪk ə dəʊˈneɪʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to give an amount of money to an organization that will use it to help people :
▪ We’re collecting money to build a hostel for homeless people - would you like to make a donation?
make a donation to
▪ The company made several large donations to charities.
▷ go to /ˈgəʊ tuː/ [transitive verb not in passive]
if something such as a sum of money goes to someone, especially to a group of people who are poor, hungry, sick etc, it is given to them :
▪ All the money raised will go to local charities.
▷ charity /ˈtʃærɪti, ˈtʃærəti/ [countable/uncountable noun]
an organization that collects money or goods from people who give them, and uses them to help people who need help :
▪ Elton John has campaigned for a number of AIDS charities.
give/donate something to charity
▪ The corporation has donated nearly $70 million to children’s charities over the past 17 years.
▪ Clear out all the clothes you never wear, and give them to charity.
go to charity
▪ All profits from the show will go to charity.
do something for charity
▪ They aim to walk 30 miles for charity.
a charity ball/lunch/concert etc
an event organized to make money for charity
▪ Porter spent his retirement years organizing charity golf tournaments throughout the United States.
▷ donor /ˈdəʊnəʳ/ [countable noun]
a person, organization, or country that gives something, especially money, to another organization or country so that they can use it to help other people :
▪ Money for the new health centre has come mostly from private donors.
▪ Some donor countries have criticized the way in which their aid is being distributed.
▷ blood/kidney etc donor /ˈblʌd ˌdəʊnəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who gives blood or a part of their body so that it can be used in the medical treatment of someone else :
▪ The patient needs a liver transplant, and the search has begun for a suitable donor.
▪ Unless more blood donors come forward, it may be necessary to cancel some operations.
▷ benefactor /ˈbenɪˌfæktəʳ, ˈbenəˌfæktəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who gives something, especially a large amount of money, to an organization or institution such as a school, hospital or library :
▪ Getty had been the museum’s chief benefactor.
▪ The painting was bought by an anonymous benefactor, and donated to the Museum of Modern Art.
▷ philanthropist /fɪˈlænθrəpəst, fəˈlænθrəpəst/ [countable noun]
a rich person who gives a lot of money to help poorer people :
▪ In Victorian times, factory owners were often also philanthropists.
▪ the millionaire philanthropist, Graham Paulo
6. something that is given to help people who need it
▷ donation /dəʊˈneɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
something, especially money that is given to help people :
▪ Any donation, however small, will be gratefully received.
▪ The Famine Appeal has raised more than a million pounds through private donations and fund-raising activities.
▷ charity /ˈtʃærɪti, ˈtʃærəti/ [uncountable noun]
money or help given to help the poor, the sick etc :
▪ Many homeless people are too proud to ask for charity.
▪ The organization depends on charity, and on volunteer workers who are prepared to give up their time.
▷ aid /eɪd/ [uncountable noun]
money, food, medicine etc that is given by a government or organization to the people of another country or to people who are in a very difficult situation :
▪ Aid is not getting through to the refugees.
foreign/overseas aid
▪ The education programme is dependent on foreign aid, and the US Agency for International Development had been approached for funding.
aid agency
an organization that brings aid to people in places where there is war, not enough food etc
▪ Another harvest has failed, and international aid agencies warn of the threat of mass starvation.
aid worker
someone who works for an aid agency
▪ An Italian aid worker was kidnapped by rebels last month, and still hasn’t been released.
▷ handout /ˈhændaʊt/ [countable noun]
money, food etc that is given to someone who is poor - use this especially when you think they should not be given it or should not have to ask for it :
▪ The unemployed need jobs, not government handouts!
▪ She applied for a bank loan because she did not want to depend on her father for handouts.
7. to give something to someone in authority
▷ hand in/give in /ˌhænd ˈɪn, ˌgɪv ˈɪn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give something to someone in authority, for example to the police or a teacher :
hand/give in something
▪ When you leave the hotel, please hand in your key at the desk.
▪ Luckily, someone gave in her purse at the lost property office.
hand/give something in
▪ Have you given your English assignment in yet?
▷ turn in/turn over /ˌtɜːʳn ˈɪn, ˌtɜːʳn ˈəʊvəʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give something such as weapons or important documents to the police or to government officials, when you should not legally have them or you have been officially asked to give them :
turn something in/over
▪ Police are encouraging people to turn illegal weapons in at their local police station.
turn in/over something to somebody
▪ The government is refusing to turn over the documents to the UN inspection team.
▷ hand over /ˌhænd ˈəʊvəʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give something to someone because they have asked or forced you to :
hand over something
▪ The robbers forced them to hand over the money.
▪ ‘Give us a bit of your rum,’ he said. Virginia handed over the bottle.
hand something over
▪ If you don’t hand it over I’ll shoot!
▷ hand somebody over/turn somebody over /ˌhænd somebody ˈəʊvəʳ, ˌtɜːʳn somebody ˈəʊvəʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give a prisoner to another group of people, especially the police or the people in authority in another country :
hand/turn somebody over to somebody
▪ The terrorists were taken to the airport, where they were handed over to the French authorities.
hand/turn over somebody
▪ The kidnappers promised to go to the embassy and turn over all their hostages within 24 hours.
▷ pass on /ˌpɑːs ˈɒnǁˌpæs-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give information or documents to another person :
▪ Officials admitted that they failed to pass on important information.
pass on something to somebody
▪ It was discovered that he had been passing secrets on to the Russians whilst working at the Pentagon.
pass something on to somebody
▪ He was accused of stealing secret documents and passing them on to the enemy.
▷ surrender /səˈrendəʳ/ [transitive verb] formal
to give your power or possessions to someone else because you have been forced to or have agreed to :
▪ The President has indicated that he intends to surrender power on February 7th.
surrender something to somebody
▪ They promised to abide by the peace agreement and surrender all their weapons to the occupying forces.
▷ sign away /ˌsaɪn əˈweɪ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to let someone else have your possessions or rights by officially signing a legal document :
▪ With a stroke of the pen he signed away his claim to the family estate.
▪ Her husband has tricked her into signing away her rights to the property.
sign something away
▪ ‘I have no intention whatsoever of signing my inheritance away,’ she informed him coldly.
▷ relinquish /rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ/ [transitive verb]
to let someone else have your position, power or rights, especially unwillingly :
▪ The Prince was persuaded to relinquish his claim to the throne.
▪ The United States is pressing the rebel army to relinquish power.
8. to officially give control of something to someone else
▷ hand over /ˌhænd ˈəʊvəʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
hand over something (to somebody)
▪ In 1997 the sovereignty of Hong Kong was handed over to China.
▪ It was only after many legal battles that he agreed to hand over the farm.
hand something over (to somebody)
▪ She was forced to hand executive control over to the new board.
handover /ˈhændəʊvəʳ/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Negotiations have begun in preparation for the handover of power to the new government.
▷ transfer /trænsˈfɜːʳ/ [transitive verb]
transfer power/responsibility/control etc to
officially give it to another person, organization, or country :
transfer something to somebody
▪ The military government is refusing to transfer power to a democratically elected civilian government.
▪ In 1923 the ownership of the forest was transferred to a rich Dutch family.
transfer /ˈtrænsfɜːʳ/ [uncountable noun]
transfer of
▪ The transfer of power was effected swiftly and peacefully.
▷ make over /ˌmeɪk ˈəʊvəʳ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to officially give something such as money or property by signing a legal document, so that it then belongs to someone else :
make over something to somebody
▪ Before he died he made over the family business to his daughter.
make something over to somebody
▪ Elderly people sometimes unknowingly make huge sums of money over to unscrupulous business advisers.
9. to arrange for something to be given to someone after you die
▷ leave /liːv/ [transitive verb]
to arrange for something to be given to someone after you die :
leave something to somebody
▪ He left £1000 to each of the nurses who had looked after him.
leave somebody something
▪ My aunt died last year and left me some of her furniture.
▷ bequeath /bɪˈkwiːð, bɪˈkwiːθ/ [transitive verb] formal
to officially arrange for something you own to be given to someone else after your death :
bequeath something to somebody
▪ She bequeathed her collection of paintings to the National Gallery.
bequeath somebody something
▪ John Frazer made a will bequeathing his local church $5000.
▷ will /wɪl/ [countable noun]
an official document that says who your money and possessions will be given to after you die :
make a will
write a will
▪ He made a will just hours before he died.
leave somebody something in your will
▪ Mrs Williams left her daughter $200,000 in her will.
cut somebody out of your will
change your will so that someone does not get any of your money or possessions
▪ When Henrietta told her father that she was going to marry Weinberger, he threatened to cut her out of his will.
▷ will /wɪl/ [transitive verb] formal
to give something to someone after you die, by writing it down in an official document :
will something to somebody
▪ Wilson established a fine collection of artworks, which he willed to Peale’s Museum.
10. to give something that you have received to someone
▷ pass on /ˌpɑːs ˈɒnǁˌpæs-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give something that has been given to you to someone else, especially after you have finished using it :
pass something on (to somebody)
▪ There’s only one copy of the leaflet, so when you’ve read it please pass it on.
pass on something (to somebody)
▪ When he gave up playing football, he passed on all his gear to me.
▷ be handed down /biː ˌhændə̇d ˈdaʊn/ [verb phrase]
if something is handed down, it is given to a younger person in the same family, for example to a sister or brother, or to a son or daughter :
be handed down to
▪ In most big families, clothes are handed down to younger brothers and sisters.
▪ The ring had been handed down to her from her grandmother.
▪ traditional shipbuilding skills that have been handed down from generation to generation
be handed down from mother to daughter/from father to son
▪ ancient stories handed down from father to son
11. to give something to someone who had it before
▷ give back /ˌgɪv ˈbæk/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give something to the person who gave it to you :
give something back
▪ Don’t forget to give my pen back when you’ve finished with it.
give something back to somebody
▪ He still hasn’t given that book back to me.
give somebody something back
▪ I looked at the letter, then gave her it back.
▪ We’ll have to cancel the show and give the audience their money back.
▷ hand back /ˌhænd ˈbæk/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give something back to someone by hand :
hand something back (to somebody)
▪ Here’s the file you want. Please hand it back when you’ve finished with it.
▪ The official looked at her identity card carefully and then handed it back to her.
hand back something (to somebody)
▪ Teachers will hand back student assignments after the vacation.
▪ She handed back the photograph to him.
▷ return /rɪˈtɜːʳn/ [transitive verb] formal
to give something to the person or organization that owns it, especially after you have borrowed it from them :
▪ You must return all your library books before the end of the year.
return something to somebody
▪ Your passport will be returned to you when you check out of your hotel.
return something to its rightful owner
give something back to the person who has the right to own it
▪ Since the end of the war, many of the paintings have been found and returned to their rightful owners.
▷ restore /rɪˈstɔːʳ/ [transitive verb] formal
to give something valuable back to its owner, especially after it has been taken from them :
restore something to somebody
▪ In 1905 both Japan and Russia agreed to restore Manchuria to China.
restore something to its rightful owner
give something back to the person who has the right to own it
▪ After decades of colonial rule, the land was finally restored to its rightful owners.
12. to give someone something that you would prefer to keep
▷ give up /ˌgɪv ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
give up something
▪ Fania was prepared to give up all her jewelry to help her father get out of debt.
▪ Russia is very unlikely to give up its nuclear weapons.
give something up
▪ Americans love their cars, and no-one is going to persuade them to give them up.
▷ let something go /ˌlet something ˈgəʊ/ [verb phrase]
to unwillingly give or sell something to someone, for example because they have won it from you or you cannot afford to keep it any longer :
▪ They’ve held the world record for many years, and they’re not going to let it go without a fight.
▪ I’ve nowhere to store all this china, so I’m letting the whole lot go for $50.
▷ part with /ˈpɑːʳt wɪð something/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to unwillingly give or sell something that is very important to you :
▪ I’m reluctant to part with any of my precious books.
▪ The new house was much smaller, and we had to part with things that we had been hoarding for years.
▷ sacrifice /ˈsækrɪfaɪs, ˈsækrəfaɪs/ [transitive verb]
to agree or decide to stop having something that is valuable, especially in order to gain something more important :
sacrifice something to do something
▪ He sacrificed a promising career to look after his handicapped daughter.
sacrifice something for something
▪ The nation is not prepared to sacrifice its independence for the sake of an alliance with a powerful neighbour.
▷ trade away /ˌtreɪd əˈweɪ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to let someone take a right, advantage etc from you - use this when you think someone is stupid to do this :
trade away something for
lose one thing and gain another
▪ The Unions would be wrong to trade away their future for short-term financial gain.
trade away something
▪ It’s disgusting to trade away your democratic rights in this way.
13. to give generously
▷ be generous /biː ˈdʒen ə rəs/ [verb phrase]
▪ We’ve received thousands of dollars to help the children -- people have been incredibly generous.
be generous to
▪ He was very generous to her when they divorced, and let her keep the house and the car.
be generous with something
give a lot of something
▪ When it comes to training, Marion’s always been generous with her time.
▷ lavish something on /ˈlævɪʃ something ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
lavish gifts/attention/affection etc on someone
to give a lot of gifts, attention etc to someone, especially in an uncontrolled or wasteful way :
▪ When the series was first shown, the media lavished praise on its creator David Lynch.
▪ Pet owners lavish love and attention on animals because they’re a lot easier to deal with than their fellow human beings.
▷ shower /ˈʃaʊəʳ/ [transitive verb]
shower somebody with gifts/affection/praise etc
to give someone a lot of gifts, love, prizes etc :
▪ Trudi was treated as a special guest and was showered with gifts everywhere she went.
▪ His family loved him so much they showered him with affection.
shower something on/upon somebody
▪ When Elvis first became famous he had honours and awards showered upon him.
14. when several people give some of the total money needed
▷ contribute /kənˈtrɪbjuːt/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to give some of the money that is needed to pay for something :
contribute to
▪ I’d like to thank all of you who contributed to the hospital appeal.
contribute something to/towards something
▪ My parents said they would contribute something towards the cost of my driving lessons.
▷ make a contribution /ˌmeɪk ə ˌkɒntrə̇ˈbjuːʃ ə nǁ-ˌkɑːn-/ [verb phrase]
to give an amount of money that when added to money given by other people, can be used to pay for something useful :
▪ If we all make a contribution, we’ll be able to get him something really nice.
make a contribution to/towards
▪ Several local businesses have made contributions towards our new school bus.
▷ have a collection /ˌhæv ə kəˈlekʃ ə n/ [verb phrase]
to collect money from each of the people in a group, especially in order to buy something for someone :
▪ They had a collection at the bar and they raised over $80.
have a collection for
▪ We’re having a collection for Jane’s birthday present.
▷ chip in /ˌtʃɪp ˈɪn/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb] informal
if everyone in a group chips in an amount of money, they each give an amount so that they can pay for something together :
▪ We all chipped in to pay for the food and wine.
▪ When Mona retired, all her co-workers chipped in and bought her a lovely dinner service.
chip in with
▪ Electronics firm Compol chipped in with over $20,000.
▷ pay/give towards British /give toward something American /ˈpeɪ, ˈgɪv təˌwɔːʳdz, ˈgɪv təˌwɔːʳd something/ [verb phrase]
to give part of the money needed to pay for something :
pay/give something towards something
▪ I don’t mind paying something towards Samantha’s wedding present.
▪ She feels it’s partly her fault the TV’s broken, so she’s ready to pay $50 toward a new one.
pay/give towards something
▪ Although students receive government grants, parents are still expected to pay towards living costs.
▷ have a whip-round /ˌhæv ə ˈwɪp raʊnd/ [verb phrase] British informal
if a group of people have a whip-round, everyone in the group immediately gives some money in order to buy something with the total amount that is collected :
▪ It’s Sally’s birthday tomorrow. We’d better have a whip-round so we can get her a present.
15. to give something extra when someone buys something
▷ give away /ˌgɪv əˈweɪ/ [transitive phrasal verb]
if a company gives away something, they give it to people when they buy the company’s products :
give away something (with something)
▪ They’re giving away free wine glasses when you spend more than $15 on gas.
▪ 700 concert tickets were given away to people buying CDs or cassettes.
give something away (with something)
▪ ‘Where did you get that badge?’ ‘They’re giving them away with this week’s Melody Maker magazine.’
▷ throw in /ˌθrəʊ ˈɪn/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to give someone something at no additional cost when they buy something from you :
throw in something
▪ The person selling the house may offer to throw in the carpets and curtains as part of the deal.
throw something in
▪ Never mind the chairs -- I’ll throw them in with the table.
▷ free gift /ˌfriː ˈgɪft/ [countable noun]
something, usually something not very valuable, that is given to you when you buy something else :
▪ Most banks offer students a free gift when they open a new account.
▪ Your Free Gift From Cachet. A perfume atomiser with every 50ml Eau de Toilette purchase.
16. to give someone something useless or that you do not want
▷ palm something off on /ˌpɑːm something ˈɒf ɒn/ [transitive phrasal verb] informal
to get rid of something that you do not want by giving or selling it to someone else without telling them about its faults :
▪ If he tries to palm that old Ford of his off on you, just tell him you’re not interested.
▪ I’ve managed to palm that early morning class off on Mary - she’s desperate for work.
▷ fob somebody off with /ˌfɒb somebody ˈɒf wɪðǁˌfɑːb-/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make someone accept something that is not as good as or not the same as the thing that they actually wanted :
▪ Don’t let him fob you off with some cheap imported whisky -- you want the real thing.
▪ People are much more selective about what they watch on TV these days, and they don’t want to be fobbed off with any old rubbish.
▷ offload /ɒfˈləʊdǁɔːf-/ [transitive verb]
to get rid of something such as work or responsibility that you have by giving part of it to someone else :
▪ You should try and offload some of your duties and relax more, instead of spending all day at the office.
▪ The bank are trying to offload some of their US holdings.