away

UK: /əˈweɪ/ US: /əˈweɪ/ ,(ə wā′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•way /əˈweɪ/   adv. 

1. from this or that place;
   from here or from there;
   off:
   to go away.
2. aside;
   to another place;
   in another direction:
   turned his eyes away.
3. far;
   apart;
   at a distance from:
   Stand away back.
4. out of one's possession or use:
   to give money away.
5. in or into a place for storage or safekeeping:
   folded the clothes and put them away.
6. out of existence:
   The image began to fade away.
7. so as to be removed or separated:
   Don't take me away from her.
8. continuously;
   repeatedly:
   She was typing away madly.
9. without hesitation:
   Fire away.

adj. 

10. [be + ~] absent;
    gone:
    I hate to be away from home.
11. distant in place or time (from):
    [after a number or amount] The town is six miles away.
12. on one's way:
    [be + ~] The plane left; they're well away by now.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•way  (ə wā′), adv. 

1. from this or that place;
   off:
   to go away.
2. aside;
   to another place;
   in another direction:
   to turn your eyes away; to turn away customers
3. far;
   apart:
   away back; away from the subject.
4. out of one's possession or use:
   to give money away.
5. out of existence or notice;
   into extinction:
   to fade away; to idle away the morning.
6. incessantly or relentlessly;
   repeatedly:
   He kept hammering away.
7. without hesitation:
   Fire away.
8. away with:
   • take away:
     Away with him!
   • go away! leave!:
     Away with you!
9. do away with:
   • to get rid of;
     abolish;
     stop.
   • to kill:
     Bluebeard did away with all his wives.
10. Naval Terms where away? (of something sighted from a ship) in which direction? where?

adj. 

11. absent;
    gone:
    to be away from home.
12. distant:
    six miles away.
13. immediately off and on the way:
    The order was given and he was away.
14. Sport 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.
    Cf. home (def. 16).
15. Sport [Baseball.] having been put out:
    with two away in the top of the seventh.
16. Sport [Golf.]
    • (of a golf ball) lying farthest from the hole.
    • (of a golfer) having hit such a ball and being required to play first.

• bef. 950; Middle English; Old English aweg, reduction of on weg. See on, a-¹, way

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

away / əˈweɪ/ adverb

1. from a particular place; off: to swim away
2. in or to another, the usual, or the proper place: to put toys away
3. apart; at a distance: to keep away from strangers
4. out of existence: the music faded away
5. 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
6. indicating activity that is wasteful or designed to get rid of something: to sleep away the hours
7. continuously: laughing away, fire away
8. away with ⇒ a command for a person to go or be removed: away with you, away with him to prison!

adjective (usually postpositive)

1. not present: away from school
2. distant: he is a good way away
3. having started; released: he was away before sunrise, bombs away!
4. (also prenominal) played on an opponent's ground

noun

1. a game played or won at an opponent's ground

interjection

1. an expression of dismissal

Etymology: Old English on weg on way