packet it

Meanings

1. 1verbintransitiveinformal

   To stop doing something, especially because you are tired, afraid, or have failed.

   Grammar: Used without an object; the 'it' is fixed and does not change.

   Patterns

   • packet it in

   After running only two miles, he decided to packet it and go home.

   She was going to finish the marathon, but the heat made her packet it at the halfway point.

   The team was losing badly, so they seemed to packet it in the second half.

2. 2verbintransitiveinformalhumorous

   To die or stop working completely.

   Grammar: A humorous or informal use, often about machines or, less commonly, people.

   Patterns

   • packet it in

   My old car finally packet it on the highway last week.

   The washing machine has packet it after ten years of service.

Common combinations

packet it in

He packet it in after just one day on the job.

packet it and go home

The players were so tired they packet it and went home.

packet it at halftime

The team was losing 5–0 and packet it at halftime.

packet it on the spot

When he saw the steep climb, he packet it on the spot.

Synonyms and how they differ

quit

Quit is more neutral and can be used in formal contexts; packet it is very informal and often suggests giving up suddenly.

give up

Give up is the general phrase for stopping an effort; packet it is a slangy British/Australian alternative that often implies a dramatic or sudden stop.

throw in the towel

Throw in the towel is an idiom from boxing meaning to admit defeat; packet it is more colloquial and less dramatic.

Opposites

Commonly confused: packet it or pack it in?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “packet it”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words