give way
English
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Verb
[edit]give way (third-person singular simple present gives way, present participle giving way, simple past gave way, past participle given way)
- To yield to persistent persuasion.
- The mother gave way to her crying child.
- 1957 September, M. D. Greville and G. O. Holt, “Railway Development in Manchester—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 649:
- Whether in consequence of this or not, the Liverpool company eventually gave way, and proceeded to build its portion of the work with some ill grace.
- To collapse or break under physical stresses.
- After years of neglect, the rusty old bridge could give way at any time.
- 1961 January, “Talking of Trains: Flooding at Lewes”, in Trains Illustrated, page 5:
- During the day conditions worsened quickly—for example, a 2-6-0 on the Uckfield line suddenly encountered flood water high enough to enter its ashpan and extinguish its fire—until lock gates up-river at Barcombe gave way and a tidal wave rolled down the valley meeting head-on a spring tide rolling up from the coast.
- To be followed, succeeded, or replaced by.
- Winter gave way to spring.
- 1958 July, J. P. Wilson, “Scottish Soliloquy”, in Railway Magazine, page 495:
- The native-born and the "naturalised" locomotives have been giving way to the standardised types, of which the L.M.S.R. class "5" 4-6-0 has led the way and has penetrated the furthest.
- To give precedence to other road users.
- At the crossing, cars must give way to pedestrians.
- To allow another person to intervene to make a point or ask a question whilst one is delivering a speech.
- "Yes, I will give way."
- To allow the expression of (a pent-up emotion, grief, etc.).
- 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
- Seeing my eye fixed upon him, he went outside to give way to his grief in the passage.
- (chiefly imperative, as command to the crew) To begin rowing.
Synonyms
[edit]- (yield to persistent persuasion): accede, come around, concede; See also Thesaurus:accede
Antonyms
[edit]- (begin rowing): way enough
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]to yield to persistent persuasion
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to collapse or break under physical stress
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to be followed by
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to give precedence to other road users
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