1 B1 neutral
To use a hand gesture to indicate that someone should go away or that something should be removed.
"She waved away the waiter when he came to refill her glass."
separable
wave away
B1 neutral separable transitive
To dismiss someone or something with a wave of the hand, or to reject an idea or comment without consideration.
In plain English
To move your hand to tell someone or something to go away, or to act like an idea isn't worth thinking about.
What does "wave away" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 idiomatic neutral
To dismiss a comment, suggestion, or emotion as unimportant or unwelcome.
"He waved away her apology and said he had already forgotten the incident."
separable
3 B1 neutral
To bid farewell to someone by waving as they depart.
"The crowd waved away the team as the bus drove out of the stadium."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To wave your hand to make someone or something go away.
Actually means
To move your hand to tell someone or something to go away, or to act like an idea isn't worth thinking about.
Usage tip
The literal sense involves a physical gesture; the figurative sense is common in both spoken and written English to describe dismissive behaviour. Common across all varieties of English.
Words that pair with "wave away"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
suggestion comment waiter flies camera reporters question
How to conjugate "wave away"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
wave away
I/you/we/they
3rd person
waves away
he/she/it
Past simple
waved away
yesterday
Past participle
waved away
have + pp
-ing form
waving away
continuous
Hear "wave away" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "wave away" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.