# gimme

/ˈɡɪmi/ (US) · /ɡˈɪmi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/gimme
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. give me

particle · CEFR B1 · Informal

a very casual way of saying 'give me'.

For teachers: a colloquial contraction of the imperative 'give' and the first-person object pronoun 'me'.

- Gimme a minute to finish this email and then I'll help you.
- He shouted 'gimme the ball' across the playground, ignoring the teacher's request for quiet.

Usage: Used almost exclusively in spoken English or informal texting.

### 2. something easy

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

something that is so easy to do or win that it is certain to happen.

For teachers: an achievement, task, or victory regarded as being easily obtained or inevitable.

- The last question on the test was a total gimme.
- After the goalkeeper's mistake, the striker had a gimme from three yards out, which he converted with ease.

Usage: Often used in sports like golf to describe a very short putt that is conceded by opponents.

Teaching tip: This noun sense is common in American English sports culture but is understood globally in informal contexts.

## Examples

- That first question on the test was a total gimme.
- The politician expected the local vote to be a gimme, but the final results were surprisingly close.
- In professional golf, a gimme is a short putt that an opponent agrees to count as made without the player actually hitting the ball.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.