Meaning & use
walk
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
To move forward on foot at a steady pace, with one foot always touching the ground.
Grammar: No object for the action: walk to school. With an object for a distance or a route: walk a mile.
Patterns
- walk to somewhere
- walk somewhere
- walk a distance
I walk to work every morning.
She walked a mile to the nearest shop.
The toddler is just learning to walk.
verbtransitive
To take an animal for exercise on foot.
Grammar: Takes the animal as object: walk the dog.
Patterns
- walk a dog
He walks the dog every evening.
I walked the horse around the field.
She walks her neighbor's puppy.
verbtransitive
To go with someone on foot, especially to see them safely to a place.
Grammar: Takes a person: walk her home.
Patterns
- walk someone to somewhere
I'll walk you to the station.
He walked her home after the party.
The guard walked us to the exit.
verbintransitiveinformal
To leave a job, a deal, or a situation, often suddenly or in protest.
Grammar: Informal phrases: walk out, walk away.
Patterns
- walk away from something
- walk out
He walked away from the deal at the last minute.
She walked out of the meeting in anger.
The accused walked free after the trial.
nouncountable
A trip on foot, usually for pleasure or exercise.
Grammar: Take a walk, go for a walk.
Patterns
- go for a walk
- take a walk
We went for a walk along the river.
A short walk after dinner helps me sleep.
It is a ten-minute walk to the park.
nouncountable
A path or route used for walking, or the way someone moves on foot.
Grammar: Also means the manner of walking: a slow walk.
Patterns
- a coastal walk
- a slow walk
The coastal walk offers sea views.
He has a distinctive walk.
The garden walk was lined with roses.
Word forms
| third person singular | walks |
|---|---|
| past tense | walked |
| past participle | walked |
| -ing form | walking |
| plural | walks |
Common combinations
- go for a walk
- Let's go for a walk after lunch.
- walk the dog
- She walks the dog twice a day.
- walk home
- We walked home through the park.
- walk out
- Several workers walked out in protest.
- walk away
- He decided to walk away from the argument.
- short walk
- The hotel is a short walk from the beach.
Synonyms and how they differ
- stroll
- Stroll is slower and more relaxed than walk.
- stride
- Stride means walking with long, confident steps.
- hike
- Hike is a long walk, usually over rough ground.
- stagger
- Stagger means walking unsteadily, unlike the normal walk.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: walk or work?
walk vs work
Walk and work look similar. Walk means to move on foot, while work means to do a job.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Walk someone to a place is the standard pattern for accompanying them.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “walk”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.