Dictionary

give way en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Meanings

1. To yield to persistent persuasion.
   • 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. 1957 September 14, M. D. Greville and G. O. Holt, “Railway Development in Manchester—1”, in Railway Magazine, page 649:
   • The mother gave way to her crying child.
2. To collapse or break under physical stresses.
   • After years of neglect, the rusty old bridge could give way at any time.
   • 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. 1961 January, “Talking of Trains: Flooding at Lewes”, in Trains Illustrated, page 5:
   • 'Cause I'm praying for rain I'm praying for tidal waves I wanna see the ground give way I wanna watch it all go down 1997, “Ænema”, performed by Tool:
3. To be followed, succeeded, or replaced by.
   • Winter gave way to spring.
   • 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. 1958 July 14, J. P. Wilson, “Scottish Soliloquy”, in Railway Magazine, page 495:
4. To give precedence to other road users.
   • At the crossing, cars must give way to pedestrians.
5. 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."
6. To allow the expression of (a pent-up emotion, grief, etc.).
   • Seeing my eye fixed upon him, he went outside to give way to his grief in the passage. 1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
7. (as command to the crew, imperative) To begin rowing.

Forms

Antonyms

way enough (begin rowing)

Deriveds

give way sign

Relateds

make way

Synonyms

come around · accede (yield to persistent persuasion) · concede

Translations (82)

it dare la precedenza (to give precedence to other road users) · uk піддава́тися (to collapse or break under physical stress) · sw toa njia (to give precedence to other road users) · ru уступа́ть доро́гу (to give precedence to other road users) · es ceder el paso (to give precedence to other road users) · fi väistää (to give precedence to other road users) · fr céder la place à (to be followed by) · it cedere il passo (to give precedence to other road users) · bg дам думата (to allow another person to intervene to make a point or ask a question whilst one is delivering a speech) · hu enged (to yield to persistent persuasion) · de nachgeben (to collapse or break under physical stress) · bg отстъпвам (to yield to persistent persuasion) · sv ge med sig (to yield to persistent persuasion) · ru пропуска́ть (to give precedence to other road users) · fr céder (to collapse or break under physical stress) · sv ge vika (to collapse or break under physical stress) · tr yol vermek (to give precedence to other road users) · uk підда́тися (to collapse or break under physical stress) · it darla su (to yield to persistent persuasion) · la fatiscō (to collapse or break under physical stress) · ru подда́ться (to collapse or break under physical stress) · pl ustąpić pierwszeństwa (to give precedence to other road users) · sv ge efter (to collapse or break under physical stress) · ru уступи́ть доро́гу (to give precedence to other road users) · mi auheke (to yield to persistent persuasion) · coa kasi jalan (to give precedence to other road users) · da holde tilbage (to give precedence to other road users) · cy rhoi ffordd (to give precedence to other road users) · hu betörik (to collapse or break under physical stress) · es dar el brazo a torcer (to yield to persistent persuasion) · mi ngaeki (to collapse or break under physical stress) · cy rhoi i mewn (to yield to persistent persuasion) · ro ceda (to collapse or break under physical stress) · ru поддава́ться (to collapse or break under physical stress) · it cadere (to collapse or break under physical stress) · fr céder le passage (to give precedence to other road users) · da vige (to give precedence to other road users) · sah суолла биэр (to give precedence to other road users) · sv väja (to give precedence to other road users) · it cedere posto (to be followed by) · it darla vinta (to yield to persistent persuasion) · hu behorpad (to collapse or break under physical stress) · hu beszakad (to collapse or break under physical stress) · nl verleen voorrang (to give precedence to other road users) · fi antaa periksi (to yield to persistent persuasion) · cmn 讓路 /让路 (to give precedence to other road users) · hu meghátrál (to yield to persistent persuasion) · bg давам думата (to allow another person to intervene to make a point or ask a question whilst one is delivering a speech) · fi tehdä tilaa (to be followed by) · pl ustępować (to yield to persistent persuasion) · bg давам път (to give precedence to other road users) · izh antiissa (to yield to persistent persuasion) · de weichen (to collapse or break under physical stress) · hu átadja a helyét (to be followed by) · mi ngawhere (to yield to persistent persuasion) · hu elsőbbséget ad (to give precedence to other road users) · fr laisser la place à (to be followed by) · de nachgeben (to yield to persistent persuasion) · it lasciare posto (to be followed by) · pl ustąpić miejsca (to be followed by) · ms beri laluan (to give precedence to other road users) · hu átadja a szót (to allow another person to intervene to make a point or ask a question whilst one is delivering a speech) · it cedere (to collapse or break under physical stress) · de weichen (to yield to persistent persuasion) · it collassare (to collapse or break under physical stress) · ru уступа́ть (to yield to persistent persuasion) · pl ustępować miejsca (to be followed by) · hu lesüllyed (to collapse or break under physical stress) · fi antaa periksi (to be followed by) · it cedere (to yield to persistent persuasion) · sv ge efter (to yield to persistent persuasion) · bg поддавам (to collapse or break under physical stress) · mi tautuku (to collapse or break under physical stress) · sv ge vika (to be followed by) · mi maroro (to collapse or break under physical stress) · it fare posto (to be followed by) · pl ustąpić (to yield to persistent persuasion) · ro ceda trecerea (to give precedence to other road users) · fi sortua (to collapse or break under physical stress) · ru пропусти́ть (to give precedence to other road users) · ru уступи́ть (to yield to persistent persuasion) · fr abandonner (to yield to persistent persuasion)