Getaway

/ˈɡɛtəˌweɪ/

nounBeginner📊CommonGeneral
2 meanings2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

A vacation or a short trip taken for pleasure.

/ˈɡɛtəˌweɪ/

nounpositiveBeginner
General

A vacation or short trip, especially to escape from a routine.

They planned a romantic getaway for their anniversary.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're tired of school or work and just want to go somewhere fun! A getaway is like a mini-vacation to relax and have a good time. Think of it as pushing the PAUSE button on your everyday life.

👶 For kids: A getaway is when you go on a trip to have fun and get away from your normal stuff.

More Examples

2

A tropical island is the perfect getaway for a winter vacation.

3

The spa offered a relaxing getaway for stressed-out clients.

How It's Used

Travel & Leisure

"Planning a weekend getaway to the mountains."

Personal Life

"She needed a getaway from her stressful job."

2

A rapid departure or escape.

/ˈɡɛtəˌweɪ/

nounneutralmedium
General

A quick escape, especially from a place or situation.

The police were trying to stop the robbers' getaway.

💡 Simply: Imagine someone trying to escape something or running away from danger or a bad situation really fast! That quick escape is called a getaway. Think of it as a race away from something scary.

👶 For kids: A getaway is when you run away really fast to get away from something.

More Examples

2

The thief made a quick getaway after stealing the jewelry.

3

He planned a getaway strategy to leave the boring party unnoticed.

How It's Used

Crime & Law

"The getaway car sped away from the bank."

Action Movies

"The criminals planned a daring getaway from the prison."

Tip:Picture a criminal GETTING AWAY from the scene of a crime.

Idioms & expressions

getaway driver

The person who drives the vehicle used for escaping, especially after a crime.

"The getaway driver waited outside the bank with the engine running."

getaway weekend

A short vacation, usually over a weekend.

"We planned a getaway weekend to the beach."

From 'get' (to leave) and 'away'. Initially used in the 18th and 19th centuries for a rapid departure or escape, often in the context of criminal activity or avoiding unpleasant situations.

The term 'getaway' originated in the 18th century, mainly referring to escaping, particularly from unwanted situations or places. The modern usage expanded later to include vacations.

Memory tip

Think of it as a chance to GET AWAY from it all.

Word Origin

LanguageEnglish
Original meaning

"Combination of 'get' (to move or depart) and 'away' (to a distance)."

Base: get
getaway tripgetaway weekendgetaway carromantic getawayquick getaway

Common misspellings

get a wayget-away

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written