Dictionary

take on en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. To acquire, bring in, or introduce.
   • The ship took on cargo in Norfolk yesterday.
   • The first of 14 Class 68s to be taken on by Chiltern Railways (68020) has been reliveried in the company's new dark blue livery. 2025 October 1, “News in brief: '68' gains new livery”, in RAIL, number 1045, page 13:
2. To acquire, bring in, or introduce. ▸ To obtain the services of (a person) in exchange for remuneration; to give someone a job.
   • Taking on a first employee should be done with care and consideration.
3. (idiomatic) To begin to have or exhibit.
   • In the dark, the teddy bear took on the appearance of a fearsome monster.
4. (idiomatic) To assume or take responsibility for.
   • She was 78, I think, and if there was only one customer, she’d take him on sometimes. 2005, Elaine McKewon, “The Scarlet Mile”, in A Social History of Prostitution in Kalgoorlie, 1894-2004, University of Western Australia Press, page 74:
   • He took on the children's welfare as an extra charge.
   • This type of marriage was always fraught with divorce because in most cases the old creditor, instead of allowing one of his male children to marry the girl, would take her on himself. For the fact that flirting was a serious taboo within the society, the girl would bolt away[…]. 1987, Nigeria Magazine, volumes 55-56, Government of Nigeria, page 27:
   • I'll take on the project if no one else will.
5. (UK, idiomatic) To assume or take responsibility for. ▸ To accept (feedback).
   • Thanks for your comments, I'll take them on.
6. (idiomatic) To attempt to fight, compete with, or engage with.
   • I don't recommend taking on that bully, since he's bigger than you are.
   • “I’ll bet, despite the fact that the Tenhausens picked you as a soul-mate for June Atterman, that if Beth Hillyer took of[f] her clothes and shook herself at you, you’d point right in the air and be ready to take her on.” 1990, Robert H. Rimmer, The Harrad Experiment, Prometheus Books, page 93:
   • I don't find that sexy. I tell her to take her time and try to be friends and work her way in. Then I might see something nice in her and take her on. 2003, George Gmelch, Behind the smile: The working lives of Caribbean tourism, Indiana University Press, page 129:
   • I'll be interested to see how this service does. It will be basic with fares to match, so will be akin to a budget airline taking on a flag-carrier. 2021 June 30, Philip Haigh, “Regional trains squeezed as ECML congestion heads north”, in RAIL, number 934, page 52:
7. To (attempt to) dribble round (an opposition player).
   • He drifted past four Palace players and took on two more before crossing to the far post, where Fellaini touched on for Mata to score. It was a momentum-shifting moment. 2016 May 22, Phil McNulty, “Crystal Palace 1-2 Manchester United”, in BBC:
8. (colloquial, intransitive) To catch on, do well; to become popular.
   • He had enough money to stock it well, and it took on; but the side of the business he did best on was his travelling shop. 1974, GB Edwards, The Book of Ebenezer Le Page, New York, published 2007, page 225:
9. (idiomatic, intransitive) To grieve or be concerned (about something or someone).
   • Oh Minister, don't take on so (laugh track). We will still be seeing one another regularly (laugh track). 1984 December 17, Antony Jay, Jonathan Lynn, “Party Games (Yes Minister)”, in Yes Minister, spoken by Humphrey Appleby (Nigel Hawthorne):
   • But I am one of those that never take on about princely fortunes, and am quite content if the world is ready to board and lodge me, while I am putting up at this grim sign of the Thunder Cloud. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 16”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
   • So she hung crying, lopsided and ludicrous on the seat of the buggy […]. People passing looked at her and wondered why she was taking on. There was something almost obscene about a strong, healthy woman blubbering in the sunlight in that public place. 1955, Patrick White, chapter 13, in The Tree of Man, New York: Viking, pages 198–199:
10. (UK, intransitive) To enlist into military service.

Forms

Deriveds

take on strength

Translations (47)

it acquisire (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · ru брать на себя́ (To assume responsibility for) · nl opnemen (To assume responsibility for) · ru принима́ть (To begin to have or exhibit) · fi kilpailla (To attempt to fight or compete) · pt aparecer (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · fi ottaa (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · pl nabywać (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · pl brać na barki (To assume responsibility for) · nl introduceren (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · nl innemen (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · de antreten (To attempt to fight or compete) · pl przyjmować (To begin to have or exhibit) · ru принима́ть (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · it assumere (To begin to have or exhibit) · it provarci (To attempt to fight or compete) · de annehmen (To assume responsibility for) · de auf sich nehmen (To assume responsibility for) · fi saada (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · pl nabyć (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · sv anamma (To begin to have or exhibit) · eo alpreni (To begin to have or exhibit) · ru тяга́ться (To attempt to fight or compete) · it prendere le sembianze (To begin to have or exhibit) · fi ottaa (To assume responsibility for) · de aufnehmen (To attempt to fight or compete) · it caricare (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · ru приобрета́ть (To begin to have or exhibit) · nl uitdagen (To attempt to fight or compete) · es encargarse/ocuparse de (To assume responsibility for) · it prendere in carico (To assume responsibility for) · de einbringen (To acquire, bring in, or introduce) · nl aannemen (To begin to have or exhibit) · pl wziąć na barki (To assume responsibility for) · el αντιμετωπίζω (To attempt to fight or compete) · fi ottaa vastuu (To assume responsibility for) · it sfidare (To attempt to fight or compete) · de annehmen (To begin to have or exhibit) · it assumere (To assume responsibility for) · pl przyjąć (To begin to have or exhibit) · de übernehmen (To assume responsibility for) · pt mostrar (To begin to have or exhibit) · pl rywalizować (To attempt to fight or compete) · it affrontare (To attempt to fight or compete) · es hacerse cargo de (To assume responsibility for) · pt assumir (To assume responsibility for) · pt afrontar (To attempt to fight or compete)