# get

> English word · Verb · IPA /ɡɛt/ · frequency rank #61

## Definitions
1. To obtain; to acquire.
2. To receive.
3. To have. See usage notes.
4. To fetch, bring, take.
5. To become, or cause oneself to become (often with temporary states, past participle adjectives and comparatives).
6. To cause to become; to bring about.
7. To cause to do.
8. To cause to come or go or move.
9. To adopt, assume, arrive at, or progress towards (a certain position, location, state).
10. To cover (a certain distance) while travelling.
11. (with full infinitive or gerund-participle) To begin (doing something or to do something).
12. To take or catch (a scheduled transportation service).
13. To respond to (a telephone call, a doorbell, etc).
14. (with full infinitive) To be able, be permitted, or have the opportunity (to do something desirable or ironically implied to be desirable).
15. To understand. (compare get it)
16. To be told; be the recipient of (a question, comparison, opinion, etc.).
17. Used with the past participle to form the dynamic passive voice of a dynamic verb. Compared with static passive with to be, this emphasizes the commencement of an action or entry into a state.
18. Used with a pronoun subject, usually you but sometimes one, to indicate that the object of the verb exists, can occur or is otherwise typical.
19. To become ill with or catch (a disease).
20. To catch out, trick successfully.
21. To perplex, stump.
22. To find as an answer.
23. To bring to reckoning; to catch (usually as a criminal); to effect retribution.
24. To hear completely; catch.
25. To getter.
26. To beget (of a father).
27. To learn; to commit to memory; to memorize; sometimes with out.
28. Used with a personal pronoun to indicate that someone is being pretentious or grandiose.
29. To go, to leave; to scram.
30. To kill.
31. To make acquisitions; to gain; to profit.
32. To measure.
33. To cause someone to laugh.

## Etymology
From Middle English geten, from Old Norse geta, from Proto-Germanic *getaną. Cognate with Old English ġietan (whence also English yet), Old Saxon getan (“to get, to gain sth.”), Old High German pigezzan (“to uphold”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌲𐌹𐍄𐌰𐌽 (bigitan, “to find, discover”)), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- (“to seize”).

## Easily confused with
- **go** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-go)
- **GM** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gm)
- **GF** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gf)
- **GP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gp)
- **gi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gi)
- **GS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gs)
- **GR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gr)
- **gg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gg)
- **GL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gl)
- **GU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gu)
- **GH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gh)
- **got** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-got)
- **god** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-god)
- **guy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-guy)
- **gun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gun)
- **gym** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gym)
- **GOP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gop)
- **GPS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gps)
- **gut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gut)
- **gig** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/get-vs-gig)

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/get