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Added 7 October 2026

away

/əˈweɪ/ adverb

In Latin: hinc, loci, foras Wiktionary

adverb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about away at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

From a place, hence.
He went away on vacation.
Aside; off; in another direction.
I tried to approach him, but he turned away.
Aside, so as to discard something.
throw away, chuck away, toss away

interjection

Away with you! Go away! Begone!

adjective

Not here, gone, absent, unavailable, traveling; on vacation.
The master is away from home on a course.
At a specified distance in space, time, or figuratively.
He's miles away by now.
Not on one's home territory.
This is the entrance for away supporters.

verb

To depart; to go to another place.
At 9 o'clock sharp he awayed to bed.

Origin

From Middle English away, awey, awei, oway, o wey, on way, from Old English āweġ, onweġ (“away”), originally on weġ (“on one's way; onward; on”), equivalent to a- (“on”) + way. Cognate with Scots awa, away (“away”), Old Frisian aweg, awei (“away”), Saterland Frisian wäch, wääge (“away”), Dutch weg (“away”), German weg (“away”), Danish væk (“away”), Swedish i väg (“away; off; along”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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