Dictionary

slip away en · VERB

Meanings

1. To leave without being noticed.
   • When I'm tired and thinking cold I hide in my music, forget the day And dream of a girl I used to know I closed my eyes and she slipped away She slipped away 1976 August 25, Tom Scholz, “More Than a Feeling”, in Boston, performed by Boston:
   • I'm going to try to slip away from work early, if I can.
   • 1906, Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children, Chapter 4: The engine-burglar, But when Bobbie crept down later to bring up her presents--for she felt she really could not be separated from them all night--Mother was not writing, but leaning her head on her arms and her arms on the table. I think it was rather good of Bobbie to slip quietly away, saying over and over, "She doesn't want me to know she's unhappy, and I won't know; I won't know." But it made a sad end to the birthday.
   • He picked up his own phone, shunned limos and preferred to walk if possible (sciatica later caused him to use a wheelchair) – as, for example, on the day after his election when he slipped away on foot to collect his suitcase and settle the bill at the modest pensione where he had been booked in before the conclave began. 2025 April 21, Peter Stanford, “Pope Francis obituary”, in The Guardian:
2. (of time) To pass quickly, almost unnoticed.
   • The months slipped away and became years.
   • But with every word she was drawing further and further into herself, so he gave that up and only the dead dream fought on as the afternoon slipped away, trying to touch what was no longer tangible, struggling unhappily, undespairingly, toward that lost voice across the room. 1925, F. Scott Fitzgerald, chapter 7, in The Great Gatsby, page 144:
3. To disappear; to elude one; to recede; to dwindle.
   • Scharner then headed a Dorrans free-kick against the crossbar, with Tchoyi unable to turn in the follow-up as the Baggies saw their hopes of salvaging a point slip away. 2010 December 28, Kevin Darling, “West Brom 1 - 3 Blackburn”, in BBC:
   • What about love? Don't you want someone to care about you? What about love? Don't let it slip away 1985, Brian Allen, Sheron Alton, Jim Vallance, “What About Love”, in Heart, performed by Heart:
   • And there are few better ways to enjoy the rugged bleakness of the fells than from a nice warm train, especially when the weather's constantly changing as the day slips away. 2022 November 2, Paul Bigland, “New trains, old trains, and splendid scenery”, in RAIL, number 969, page 57:
4. (euphemistic) To die peacefully.
   • He slipped away quietly in his sleep.

Forms

Coordinates

fall away · fade away

Relateds

give someone the slip

Synonyms

sneak off · slide off · slip off

Translations (25)

ga slíoc leat (to leave a place without being noticed) · mi unu (to leave a place without being noticed) · es escaquearse (to leave a place without being noticed) · nl wegglijden (to leave a place without being noticed) · hy ծլկել (to leave a place without being noticed) · pl wyślizgnąć się (to leave a place without being noticed) · pl odchodzić (to die) · it scomparire (to die) · es escabullirse (to leave a place without being noticed) · it venire meno (to die) · pl odejść (to die) · it passare in fretta (to pass quickly) · it sfumare (to pass quickly) · yi אַוועקמאַכן (to leave a place without being noticed) · es esfumarse (to leave a place without being noticed) · es escurrirse (to leave a place without being noticed) · pl wyślizgiwać się (to leave a place without being noticed) · it squagliarsela (to leave a place without being noticed) · it andarsene alla chetichella (to leave a place without being noticed) · pl prześlizgiwać się (to pass quickly) · de davonmachen (to leave a place without being noticed) · pl wyślizgnąć się (to pass quickly) · it svignarsela (to leave a place without being noticed) · es dar esquinazo (to leave a place without being noticed) · az cırmaq (to leave a place without being noticed)