1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To reduce or lessen the positive impact, value, or quality of something
"The rain took away from the outdoor ceremony, but the couple were still beaming."
inseparable
take away from
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
To reduce the value, impact, or quality of something; to lessen how impressive or good something seems
In plain English
Make something seem less good or less impressive than it really is
What does "take away from" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To cause someone to pay less attention to the main event, reducing its significance
"The scandal threatened to take away from the party's conference message."
inseparable
Usage tip
Often used in a negative construction: 'I don't want to take away from your achievement, but...' This phrase frequently introduces a polite criticism. Also used positively to say something does NOT diminish a result.
Words that pair with "take away from"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
achievement performance experience success effort moment
How to conjugate "take away from"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
take away from
I/you/we/they
3rd person
takes away from
he/she/it
Past simple
took away from
yesterday
Past participle
taken away from
have + pp
-ing form
taking away from
continuous
Hear "take away from" in the wild
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