WordGarden.ioescape
A2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɛskˈeɪp/
US
- /ɪˈskeɪp/
Meanings
Verb
to get away from a place, danger, or confinement
to avoid an unwanted duty, result, harm, or consequence
to fail to be remembered, noticed, or understood
Noun
an act, chance, or means of getting away
a temporary break or diversion from ordinary life or worries
a computer key, code, or character used to cancel or alter interpretation
Beyond the definition
To escape means to get free from danger, control, or a bad situation. Think of a bird getting out of its cage, or a prisoner getting out of jail - both are breaking free. But you do not need bars to escape something. You might escape the heat by going inside, or escape boredom by reading a good book. The word often suggests that someone is trying to get away from something hard or unpleasant. Sometimes, it is also about the mind, like escaping reality through dreams or imagination.
The word can also be used as a noun: "The escape was daring and well planned." You might also need an escape route in an emergency. A person like Houdini became famous for getting out of locked or dangerous places.
To escape means to get away from a place, situation, or person that is unpleasant, dangerous, or confining. It usually suggests a deliberate act of getting free from something that holds you back. For example: "The hikers escaped the approaching storm by finding shelter in a cave," or "She tried to escape her troubled past."
Escape is not always about physical freedom. You can escape into a good book, meaning you lose yourself in its story and forget your troubles. Or you might escape responsibility by avoiding difficult tasks. In this sense, it often means a temporary break from reality.
As a noun, an escape refers to the act of breaking free or the route used to do so. "The prisoners planned their escape for months," or "They found an escape hatch on the spaceship." You can also talk about an escape clause in a contract - a way out of an agreement.
Historically, "escape" comes from Old French and meant getting out of someone's grasp. That idea of being trapped and then breaking free is still at the heart of the word. Think of classic adventure stories where heroes escape villains, or animals escape predators - it is a basic desire for freedom and safety.
So whether you are fleeing danger, finding comfort in imagination, or using a legal way out of an agreement, escape is about breaking free from physical, emotional, or legal limits.
Examples
- 1
Prison escape
Two prisoners escaped from the jail before dawn.
- 2
Gas leak
Some gas was escaping from the pipe under the sink.
- 3
Avoiding harm
She was lucky to escape serious injury in the crash.
- Grammar
Use escape from with places, but escape without from before danger, injury, or punishment.
- 4
Avoiding punishment
He thought he could escape punishment by blaming someone else.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Reading
After work, she escapes into novels for an hour before bed.
- Patternescape into + activity/story
become so involved in it that you stop thinking about real life
- 6
Not noticed
The error escaped my notice until someone pointed it out.
- Phraseescape someone's notice
not be noticed by them
- 7
Temporary forgetting
His name escaped me for a moment during the introduction.
- Patternsomething escapes someone
they cannot remember it at that moment
- 8
Relaxing break
The cabin was a welcome escape from city life.
- 9
Near miss
The branch fell right behind us, and it felt like a lucky escape.
- Phrasea lucky escape
a situation where something bad almost happened but did not
See also
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- escapenounverb
Forms
- escapedpast tenseverbnoun
- escaping-ing formverbnoun
- escapespluralnounverb