get
verb /ɡet/
/ɡet/
In spoken North American English the past participle gotten /ˈɡɒtn/
/ˈɡɑːtn/
is almost always used.Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they get | /ɡet/ /ɡet/ |
| he / she / it gets | /ɡets/ /ɡets/ |
| past simple got | /ɡɒt/ /ɡɑːt/ |
| past participle got | /ɡɒt/ /ɡɑːt/ |
| -ing form getting | /ˈɡetɪŋ/ /ˈɡetɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, no passive] get something to receive something
- I got a call from Dave this morning.
- What (= What presents) did you get for your birthday?
- He gets (= earns) about $40 000 a year.
- This room gets very little sunshine.
- I got a shock when I saw the bill.
- I will report back when I get a chance.
- I get the impression that he is bored with his job.
- Where did you get the idea from?
- It's the best way to get a sense of what's actually going on here.
- She got great satisfaction from seeing his embarrassment.
- [transitive, no passive] to obtain something
- He has just got a new job.
- I'll get the money somehow.
- She opened the door wider to get a better look.
- Try to get some sleep.
- You can also get information on careers in social work from their website.
- I think someone's trying to get your attention.
- She really knows how to get results.
- [transitive] to buy something
- get something Where did you get that skirt?
- Did you manage to get tickets for the concert?
- (North American English) Can I get a Coke?
- get something for somebody Did you get a present for your mother?
- get somebody/yourself something Did you get your mother a present?
- Why don't you get yourself a car?
- $100 will get you the basic model.
- You can get yourself the basic model for $100.
- [transitive, no passive] to obtain or receive an amount of money by selling something
- get something If you sell it at auction you can expect to get roughly £800.
- get something for something How much did you get for your car?
- We got £420 000 for the house.
- [transitive] to go to a place and bring somebody/something back synonym fetch
- get somebody/something Quick—go and get a cloth!
- Somebody get a doctor!
- She went to get help.
- I have to go and get my mother from the airport (= collect her).
- get something for somebody Get a drink for John.
- get somebody/yourself something Get John a drink.
Extra Examples- She's gone to get a few more chairs.
- Could you go upstairs and get my wallet for me, please?
- Can I get you anything to eat or drink?
- [transitive, no passive] get something to achieve or be given a particular mark or grade in an exam
- He got a ‘C’ in Chemistry and a ‘B’ in English.
- [transitive, no passive] get something to start to develop an illness; to suffer from a pain, etc.
- I got this cold off (= from) you!
- She gets (= often suffers from) really bad headaches.
- I think I'm getting a cold.
- [transitive, no passive] get something to receive something as a punishment
- He got ten years (= was sent to prison for ten years) for armed robbery.
- [transitive, no passive] get something to connect to the internet or a phone network; to receive broadcasts from a particular television or radio station
- 95 per cent of the UK can now get superfast broadband.
- I couldn't get any mobile phone reception.
- We can't get Channel 5 in our area.
- [transitive, no passive] get somebody to be connected with somebody by phone
- I wanted to speak to the manager but I got his secretary instead.
- [intransitive] + adv./prep. to arrive at or reach a place or point
- We got to San Diego at 7 o'clock.
- We're aiming to get to the party at about nine.
- You got in very late last night.
- I got back an hour ago.
- Wait till we get home.
- What time did you get here?
- Let me know when you get there.
- I haven't got very far with the book I'm reading.
- [intransitive, transitive] to move to or from a particular place or in a particular direction, sometimes with difficulty; to make somebody/something do this
- + adv./prep. The bridge was destroyed so we couldn't get across the river.
- She got into bed.
- He got down from the ladder.
- We didn't get (= go) to bed until 3 a.m.
- Where do we get on the bus?
- I'm getting off (= leaving the train) at the next station.
- Where have they got to (= where are they)?
- We must be getting home; it's past midnight.
- get somebody/something + adv./prep. We couldn't get the piano through the door.
- We'd better call a taxi and get you home.
- The general had to get his troops across the river.
- I can't get the lid off.
Extra Examples- How can we get to the other side of town?
- I don't know how he managed to get down from the roof.
- It takes an hour to get from Oxford to London.
- We only got as far as the next town.
- You can get to the hotel by bus or taxi.
- [transitive, no passive] get something to use a bus, taxi, plane, etc.
- We're going to be late—let's get a taxi.
- I usually get the bus to work.
Extra ExamplesTopics Transport by bus and traina1- Get a train to Newport and then get a bus from the station.
- He got the next plane home.
- I ran all the way to the station and just managed to get my train.
- I'll try and get a flight home tomorrow.
- You won't be able to get a plane there—there's no airport.
- linking verb to reach a particular state or condition; to make somebody/something/yourself reach a particular state or condition
- + adj. to get angry/bored/hungry/fat
- to get better/worse
- You'll soon get used to the climate here.
- We ought to go; it's getting late.
- to get dressed/undressed (= to put your clothes on/take your clothes off)
- They plan to get married in the summer.
- She's upstairs getting ready.
- As he's got older his tastes have changed.
- She was getting sick of hearing him complain.
- There's nothing to get excited about.
- He got drunk and passed out.
- I was starting to get tired.
- I wouldn't go there alone; you might get (= be) mugged.
- My car got (= was) stolen at the weekend.
- get somebody/something + adj. Don't get your dress dirty!
- He got his fingers caught in the door.
- She soon got the children ready for school.
- [intransitive] get to do something to reach the point at which you feel, know, are, etc. something
- After a time you get to realize that these things don't matter.
- You'll like her once you get to know her.
- His drinking is getting to be a problem.
- She's getting to be an old lady now.
- [transitive] get something done to cause something to happen or be done
- I must get my hair cut.
- I'll never get all this work finished.
- She has a reputation for getting things done.
- [transitive] to make, persuade, etc. somebody/something to do something
- get somebody/something to do something I couldn't get the car to start this morning.
- He got his sister to help him with his homework.
- You'll never get him to understand.
- get somebody/something doing something It's not hard to get him talking—the problem is stopping him!
- Can you really get that old car going again?
Extra ExamplesTopics Discussion and agreementb2- I finally got Michael to talk to them and he explained everything.
- We had trouble getting enough people to sign up.
- [transitive] get doing something to start doing something
- I got talking to her.
- We need to get going soon.
- [intransitive] get to do something (informal) to have the opportunity to do something
- He got to try out all the new software.
- It's not fair—I never get to go first.
- [transitive] (especially British English) to prepare a meal
- get something Who's getting the lunch?
- You sit down and relax. I'll get supper.
- get something for somebody/yourself I must go home and get tea for the kids.
- get somebody/yourself something I must go home and get the kids their tea.
- [transitive, no passive] get something (informal) to answer the phone or a door when somebody calls, knocks, etc.
- Will you get the phone?
- [transitive] get somebody to catch or take hold of somebody, especially in order to harm or punish them
- He was on the run for a week before the police got him.
- to get somebody by the arm/wrist/throat
- She fell overboard and the sharks got her.
- He thinks everybody is out to get him (= trying to harm him).
- (informal) I'll get you for that!
- [transitive] get somebody + adv./prep. to hit or wound somebody
- The bullet got him in the neck.
- [transitive, no passive] get somebody/something (informal) to understand somebody/something
- I don't get you.
- She didn't get the joke.
- I don't get it—why would she do a thing like that?
- I get the message—you don't want me to come.
Synonyms understandunderstand- see
- get
- follow
- grasp
- comprehend
- understand to know or realize the meaning of words, a language, what somebody says, etc; to know or realize how or why something happens, how it works or why it is important:
- I don’t understand the instructions.
- Doctors still don’t understand much about the disease.
- see to understand what is happening, what somebody is saying, how something works or how important something is:
- ‘It opens like this.’ ‘Oh, I see.’
- Oh yes, I see what you mean.
- get (informal) to understand a joke, what somebody is trying to tell you, or a situation that they are trying to describe:
- She didn’t get the joke.
- I don’t get you.
- follow to understand an explanation, a story or the meaning of something:
- Sorry—I don’t quite follow.
- The plot is almost impossible to follow.
- grasp to come to understand a fact, an idea or how to do something:
- They failed to grasp the importance of his words.
- comprehend (often used in negative statements) (formal) to understand a fact, idea or reason:
- The concept of infinity is almost impossible for the human mind to comprehend.
- to understand/see/get/follow/grasp/comprehend what/why/how…
- to understand/see/grasp/comprehend that…
- to understand/see/get/grasp the point/idea (of something)
- to be easy/difficult/hard to understand/see/follow/grasp/comprehend
- to fully understand/see/grasp/comprehend something
- [transitive, no passive] get something (informal) used to say that something happens or exists
- You get (= There are) all these kids hanging around in the street.
- They still get cases of typhoid there.
- [transitive, no passive] get somebody (informal) to make somebody feel confused because they do not understand something synonym puzzle
- ‘What's the capital of Bhutan?’ ‘You've got me there!’ (= I don't know)
- [transitive, no passive] get somebody (informal) to annoy somebody
- What gets me is having to do the same thing all day long.
More Like This Verbs with two objectsVerbs with two objects- bet
- bring
- build
- buy
- cost
- get
- give
- leave
- lend
- make
- offer
- owe
- pass
- pay
- play
- post
- promise
- read
- refuse
- sell
- send
- show
- sing
- take
- teach
- tell
- throw
- wish
- write
receive/obtain
bring
mark/grade
illness
punishment
internet/phone/broadcasts
contact
arrive
move/travel
state/condition
get something done
make/persuade
start
opportunity
meal
telephone/door
catch/hit
understand
happen/exist
confuse/annoy
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old Norse geta ‘obtain, beget, guess’; related to Old English gietan (in begietan ‘beget’, forgietan ‘forget’), from an Indo-European root shared by Latin praeda ‘booty, prey’, praehendere ‘get hold of, seize’, and Greek khandanein ‘hold, contain, be able’.
Idioms Most idioms containing get are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example get somebody’s goat is at goat.
be getting on (informal)
- (of a person) to be becoming old
- (of time) to be becoming late
- The time's getting on—we ought to be going.
be getting on for…
- (especially British English) to be nearly a particular time, age or number
- It must be getting on for midnight.
- He's getting on for eighty.
can’t get over something
- (informal) used to say that you are shocked, surprised, etc. by something
- I can't get over how rude she was.
get away from it all
- (informal) to have a short holiday in a place where you can relax
get going (informal)
- to leave a place in order to go somewhere else
- It's been lovely to see you, but it's probably time we got going.
- to start happening or being done
- The project hasn't really got going yet.
get somebody going
- (informal) to make somebody angry, worried or excited
get something going
- to succeed in starting a machine, vehicle, process, etc.
- We finally managed to get the car going.
get it
(North American English also catch hell)
(British English also catch it)
- (informal) to be punished or spoken to angrily about something
- If your dad finds out you'll really get it!
get it on (with somebody)
- (especially North American English, slang) to have sex with somebody
get it up
- (slang) (of a man) to have an erection
get somebody nowhere/not get somebody anywhere
- to not help somebody make progress or succeed
- This line of investigation is getting us nowhere.
- Being rude to me won't get you anywhere.
get somewhere/anywhere/nowhere
- to make some progress/no progress
- After six months' work on the project, at last I feel I'm getting somewhere.
- I don't seem to be getting anywhere with this letter.
get there
- to achieve your aim or complete a task
- I'm sure you'll get there in the end.
- It's not perfect but we're getting there (= making progress).
get this!
- (informal, especially North American English) used to say that you are going to tell somebody something that they will find surprising or interesting
- OK, get this guys—there are only two left!
- So get this—I did all the work and he got the money.
how selfish, stupid, ungrateful, etc. can you get?
- (informal) used to express surprise or disapproval that somebody has been so selfish, stupid, etc.
there’s no getting away from something | you can’t get away from something
- you have to admit that something unpleasant is true
what are you, was he, etc. getting at?
- (informal) used to ask, especially in an angry way, what somebody is/was suggesting
- I'm partly to blame? What exactly are you getting at?
what has got into somebody?
- (informal) used to say that somebody has suddenly started to behave in a strange or different way
- What's got into Alex? He never used to worry like that.
- I’m sorry for laughing like that—I don’t know what got into me.