1 A2 neutral
To force a person or animal to leave a place by actively pursuing them.
"The farmer chased the foxes away from the chicken coop."
separable
chase away
A2 neutral separable transitive
To force a person, animal, or feeling to leave by chasing or pursuing them.
In plain English
To make someone or something go away by running at them or after them.
What does "chase away" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To get rid of a negative feeling or thought.
"A long run in the park usually chases away my stress."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To chase someone or something until they go away from you.
Actually means
To make someone or something go away by running at them or after them.
Usage tip
Works for both literal situations (chasing animals or people away) and figurative ones (chasing away sadness, worries, or bad thoughts). The object can be placed between 'chase' and 'away' or after 'away'.
Words that pair with "chase away"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
birds worries fears sadness intruder stray doubt
How to conjugate "chase away"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
chase away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
chases away
he/she/it
Past simple
chased away
yesterday
Past participle
chased away
have + pp
-ing form
chasing away
continuous
Hear "chase away" in the wild
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Other ways to say "chase away"
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