1 B2 neutral
To hand something or transfer control to another person.
"He gave over the management of the company to his daughter."
separable
give over
B2 informal separable transitive/intransitive
To hand something over, to dedicate something to a particular purpose, or (in British informal use) to stop doing something or to express disbelief.
In plain English
To give control of something to someone else, to use something only for one thing, or (British slang) to stop it or 'yeah right!'
What does "give over" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To dedicate a space, time, or resource exclusively to a particular purpose.
"The entire ground floor of the museum was given over to the new exhibition."
separable
3 C1 idiomatic informal
(British, informal) Used as a command to stop doing something annoying, or to express disbelief at what someone has said.
"'I won a million pounds in the lottery.' 'Give over! You're joking, right?'"
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To give something across, to another person or purpose.
Actually means
To give control of something to someone else, to use something only for one thing, or (British slang) to stop it or 'yeah right!'
Usage tip
The British English informal sense ('Give over!' meaning 'Stop it!' or 'You can't be serious!') is Northern British English dialect, common in areas such as Yorkshire and Lancashire. The 'dedicate to a purpose' sense is more neutral. ESL learners in the UK should be especially aware of the dialect sense.
Words that pair with "give over"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
control power land building space authority
How to conjugate "give over"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
give over
I/you/we/they
3rd person
gives over
he/she/it
Past simple
gave over
yesterday
Past participle
given over
have + pp
-ing form
giving over
continuous
Hear "give over" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "give over" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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