give back

verb

To return, restore (a thing to its original owner or location etc.).

“Give me back my book!”

Similar
refundreturnrepay
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Meanings

verbgive back (third-person singular simple present gives back, present participle giving back, simple past gave back, past participle given back)

present singular third person gives back · participle present giving back · past gave back · participle past given back

  1. transitiveTo return, restore (a thing to its original owner or location etc.).

    Give me back my book!

  2. idiomaticintransitivetransitiveTo contribute money, goods, or, especially, services for charitable purposes, as if in return for one's own success.

    We organize this Thanksgiving dinner at the old-age home to give back to the community.

  3. archaicTo recede; to retreat.

    Yet the Fiends ſeemed to come nearer and nearer, but when they were come even almoſt at him, he cried out with a moſt vehement voice, I will walk in the ſtrength of the Lord God; ſo they gave back, and came no farther.

    1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC; reprinted in The Pilgrim’s Progress as Originally Published by John Bunyan: Being a Fac-simile Reproduction of the First Edition, London: Elliot Stock […], 1875, →OCLC, page 108

Synonyms & antonyms

verbpay back

Similar
refundreturnrepay
Broader
pay
Also see
refundrepayrestorereturnrevert

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Ancient Greek ἀποδίδωμι
  • ἀποδίδωμι (apodídōmi)to return
Bulgarian връ́щам, повръ́щам
  • връ́щам (vrắštam)to return
  • повръ́щам (povrắštam)to return
Catalan tornar
  • tornarto return
Chinese Mandarin 還 /还, 交還 /交还
  • 還 /还 (huán)to return
  • 交還 /交还 (jiāohuán)to return
  • 交回 (jiāohuí)to return
  • 歸還 /归还 (guīhuán)to return
  • 送還 /送还 (sònghuán)to return
Czech vracet, vrátit
  • vracetto return
  • vrátitto return
Esperanto redoni
  • redonito return
Finnish palauttaa, antaa takaisin
  • palauttaato return
  • antaa takaisinto return
French rendre
  • rendreto return
German zurückgeben
  • zurückgebento return
Hungarian visszaad
  • visszaadto return
Italian rendere
  • rendereto return
Japanese 返す
  • 返す (kaesu)to return
Latin reddō
  • reddōto return
Norwegian Bokmål gjengi
  • gjengito return
Persian برگرداندن, پِس دادَن
  • برگرداندن (bargardândan)to return
  • پِس دادَن (pas dâdan)to return
Polish oddawać, oddać
  • oddawaćto return
  • oddaćto return
  • zwracać impf zwrócićto return
Portuguese devolver
  • devolverto return
Romanian înapoia, reda
  • înapoiato return
  • redato return
  • a da înapoito return
Russian возвраща́ть, верну́ть
  • возвраща́ть (vozvraščátʹ)to return
  • верну́ть (vernútʹ)to return
  • отдава́ть (otdavátʹ)to return
  • отда́ть (otdátʹ)to return
Slovak vracať, vrátiť
  • vracaťto return
  • vrátiťto return
Spanish devolver
  • devolverto return
Swahili -rudisha
  • -rudishato return
Swedish återlämna
  • återlämnato return
Thai คืน
  • คืน (kʉʉn)to return
Ukrainian віддава́ти, відда́ти
  • віддава́ти (viddaváty)to return
  • відда́ти (viddáty)to return
  • поверта́ти (povertáty)to return
  • поверну́ти (povernúty)to return
Vietnamese trả, trả lại
  • trảto return
  • trả lạito return
Cite this entry
APA

give back. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20back

MLA

“give back.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20back. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give back,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20back.

Source: give back on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.