# going away

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/going-away
Updated: 2026-10-22

## Definition

to leave your home for a period of time, especially for a holiday or a trip. You use this when you are planning to be absent for a few days or weeks.

For teachers: to depart from one's home or usual place of residence for a period, typically for leisure or travel. The verb is intransitive and does not take a direct object.

## Examples

- We are going away for the weekend.
- They are going away to the mountains next week to escape the summer heat.
- After months of relentless work, the couple decided that going away to a remote coastal village was the only way to truly disconnect and recharge.

## Pitfalls

- Not "I am going away to home." but "I am going home." — the phrase implies leaving home, so it is logically incompatible with 'home' as a destination.

## Usage notes

- often followed by 'for' to show duration or 'to' to show the destination.
- Teaching tip: contrast with 'leaving' which focuses on the point of departure; 'going away' emphasizes the period of absence from home.

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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.