1 B2 idiomatic informal
To exhaust or drain someone's physical or emotional energy.
"Caring for three young children really takes it out of you — by evening I have nothing left."
inseparable
take it out of
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
To drain someone's energy or to deduct an amount from a particular source.
In plain English
To make someone very tired, or to subtract money from something.
What does "take it out of" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 neutral
To deduct an amount of money from a particular fund, salary, or account.
"The repair costs will be taken out of the security deposit at the end of your tenancy."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To physically remove something from inside something else.
Actually means
To make someone very tired, or to subtract money from something.
Usage tip
The 'drain energy' sense is very common in informal spoken English. The financial deduction sense is standard and neutral. Often heard in the passive: 'It really took it out of me.'
Words that pair with "take it out of"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
salary savings account energy reserves deposit
How to conjugate "take it out of"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
take it out of
I/you/we/they
3rd person
takes it out of
he/she/it
Past simple
took it out of
yesterday
Past participle
taken it out of
have + pp
-ing form
taking it out of
continuous
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