escape

es·cape (

-sk

)

v. es·caped, es·cap·ing, es·capes

v.intr.

1. To break loose from confinement; get free: escape from jail.

2. To issue from confinement or an enclosure; leak or seep out: Gas was escaping from the vent.

3. To avoid a serious or unwanted outcome: escaped from the accident with their lives.

4. Botany To become established in the wild. Used of a cultivated species.

5. Computer Science To interrupt a command, exit a program, or change levels within a program by using a key, combination of keys, or key sequence.

v.tr.

1. To succeed in avoiding: The thief escaped punishment.

2. To break loose from; get free of: The spacecraft escaped Earth's gravitational field.

3. To elude the memory or comprehension of: Her name escapes me. The book's significance escaped him.

4. To issue involuntarily from: A sigh escaped my lips.

1. The act or an instance of escaping.

2. A means of escaping.

3. A means of obtaining temporary freedom from worry, care, or unpleasantness: Television is my escape from worry.

4. A gradual effusion from an enclosure; a leakage.

5. Botany A plant that has become established away from the area of cultivation.

6. Computer Science A key, combination of keys, or key sequence, used especially to interrupt a command, exit a program, or change levels within a program.

[Middle English escapen, from Old North French escaper, from Vulgar Latin *excappre, to get out of one's cape, get away : Latin ex-, ex- + Medieval Latin cappa, cloak.]

es·capa·ble adj.

es·caper n.

Synonyms: escape, avoid, shun, eschew, evade, elude
These verbs mean to get or stay away from persons or things. Escape can mean to get free or to remain untouched or unaffected by something unwanted: "Let no guilty man escape, if it can be avoided" Ulysses S. Grant.
Avoid always involves an effort to keep away from what is considered to be a source of danger or difficulty: avoiding strenuous exercise.
Shun refers to deliberately keeping clear of what is unwelcome or undesirable: "Family friends ... she shunned like the plague" John Galsworthy.
Eschew involves staying clear of something because to do otherwise would be unwise or morally wrong: "Eschew evil, and do good" Book of Common Prayer.
Evade implies adroit maneuvering and sometimes implies dishonesty or irresponsibility: tried to evade jury duty.
To elude is to get away from artfully: eluded their pursuers.

Usage Note: Traditionally, escape is used with from when it means "break loose" and with a direct object when it means "avoid." Thus we might say The forger escaped from prison by hiding in a laundry truck, but The forger escaped prison when he turned in his accomplices in order to get a suspended sentence. In recent years, however, escape has been used with a direct object in the sense "break free of": The spacecraft will acquire sufficient velocity to escape the sun's gravitational attraction. This usage is well established and should be regarded as standard.

escape

Verb

[-caping, -caped]

1. to get away or break free from (confinement)

2. to manage to avoid (something dangerous, unpleasant, or difficult)

3. (of gases, liquids, etc.) to leak gradually

4. to elude; be forgotten by: those little round cakes whose name escapes me

Noun

1. the act of escaping or state of having escaped

2. a way of avoiding something difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant: his frequent illnesses provided an escape from intolerable stress

3. a means of relaxation or relief: he found temporary escape through the local cinema

4. a leakage of gas or liquid [Late Latin e- out + cappa cloak]

Escape

drapetomania

a mania for running away.

enatation

Obsolete, swimming away, especially escaping by swimming.

escapism

the art or technique of escaping from chains, locked trunks, etc., especially when exhibited as a form of entertainment. — escapist, n., adj.

fugitation

fleeing from justice, as by a criminal.

hegira

a flight or escape to safety.

ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	escape - the act of escaping physically; "he made his escape from the mental hospital"; "the canary escaped from its cage"; "his flight was an indication of his guilt" flight running away - the act of leaving (without permission) the place you are expected to be evasion - the act of physically escaping from something (an opponent or a pursuer or an unpleasant situation) by some adroit maneuver breakout, gaolbreak, jailbreak, prison-breaking, prisonbreak, break - an escape from jail; "the breakout was carefully planned" lam, getaway - a rapid escape (as by criminals); "the thieves made a clean getaway"; "after the expose he had to take it on the lam" exodus, hegira, hejira - a journey by a large group to escape from a hostile environment skedaddle - a hasty flight
	2.	escape - an inclination to retreat from unpleasant realities through diversion or fantasy; "romantic novels were her escape from the stress of daily life"; "his alcohol problem was a form of escapism" escapism diversion, recreation - an activity that diverts or amuses or stimulates; "scuba diving is provided as a diversion for tourists"; "for recreation he wrote poetry and solved crossword puzzles"; "drug abuse is often regarded as a form of recreation"
	3.	escape - nonperformance of something distasteful (as by deceit or trickery) that you are supposed to do; "his evasion of his clear duty was reprehensible"; "that escape from the consequences is possible but unattractive" dodging, evasion negligence, nonperformance, carelessness, neglect - failure to act with the prudence that a reasonable person would exercise under the same circumstances escape mechanism - a form of behavior that evades unpleasant realities malingering, skulking - evading duty or work by pretending to be incapacitated; "they developed a test to detect malingering" goldbricking, goofing off, shirking, slacking, soldiering - the evasion of work or duty circumvention - the act of evading by going around
	4.	escape - an avoidance of danger or difficulty; "that was a narrow escape" avoidance, shunning, turning away, dodging - deliberately avoiding; keeping away from or preventing from happening
	5.	escape - a means or way of escaping; "hard work was his escape from worry"; "they installed a second hatch as an escape"; "their escape route" means, way, agency - how a result is obtained or an end is achieved; "a means of control"; "an example is the best agency of instruction"; "the true way to success"
	6.	escape - a plant originally cultivated but now growing wild plant life, flora, plant - (botany) a living organism lacking the power of locomotion
	7.	escape - the discharge of a fluid from some container; "they tried to stop the escape of gas from the damaged pipe"; "he had to clean up the leak" leakage, outflow, leak outpouring, discharge, run - the pouring forth of a fluid
	8.	escape - a valve in a container in which pressure can build up (as a steam boiler); it opens automatically when the pressure reaches a dangerous level escape cock, escape valve, relief valve, safety valve regulator - any of various controls or devices for regulating or controlling fluid flow, pressure, temperature, etc. valve - control consisting of a mechanical device for controlling the flow of a fluid
Verb	1.	escape - run away from confinement; "The convicted murderer escaped from a high security prison" get away, break loose break away, break out, break - move away or escape suddenly; "The horses broke from the stable"; "Three inmates broke jail"; "Nobody can break out--this prison is high security" escape from, shake off, throw off, shake - get rid of; "I couldn't shake the car that was following me" elude, evade, bilk - escape, either physically or mentally; "The thief eluded the police"; "This difficult idea seems to evade her"; "The event evades explanation" flee, take flight, fly - run away quickly; "He threw down his gun and fled" slip - move smoothly and easily; "the bolt slipped into place"; "water slipped from the polished marble" run away - escape from the control of; "Industry is running away with us all" get away, escape - remove oneself from a familiar environment, usually for pleasure or diversion; "We escaped to our summer house for a few days"; "The president of the company never manages to get away during the summer"
	2.	escape - fail to experience; "Fortunately, I missed the hurricane" miss avoid - stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something; "Her former friends now avoid her"
	3.	escape - escape potentially unpleasant consequences; get away with a forbidden action; "She gets away with murder!"; "I couldn't get out from under these responsibilities" get away, get by, get off, get out evade - use cunning or deceit to escape or avoid; "The con man always evades" avoid - stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something; "Her former friends now avoid her"
	4.	escape - be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by; "What you are seeing in him eludes me" elude bewilder, dumbfound, flummox, baffle, mystify, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, stupefy, amaze, gravel, vex, pose, stick, beat, get - be a mystery or bewildering to; "This beats me!"; "Got me--I don't know the answer!"; "a vexing problem"; "This question really stuck me" resist, defy, refuse - elude, especially in a baffling way; "This behavior defies explanation"
	5.	escape - remove oneself from a familiar environment, usually for pleasure or diversion; "We escaped to our summer house for a few days"; "The president of the company never manages to get away during the summer" get away escape, get away, break loose - run away from confinement; "The convicted murderer escaped from a high security prison"
	6.	escape - flee; take to one's heels; cut and run; "If you see this man, run!"; "The burglars escaped before the police showed up" fly the coop, head for the hills, hightail it, lam, run away, scarper, scat, take to the woods, turn tail, run, bunk, break away go forth, leave, go away - go away from a place; "At what time does your train leave?"; "She didn't leave until midnight"; "The ship leaves at midnight" flee, take flight, fly - run away quickly; "He threw down his gun and fled" skedaddle - run away, as if in a panic
	7.	escape - issue or leak, as from a small opening; "Gas escaped into the bedroom" egress, come forth, emerge, go forth, come out, issue - come out of; "Water issued from the hole in the wall"; "The words seemed to come out by themselves"

escape

verb 1. get away, flee, take off, fly, bolt, skip, slip away, abscond, decamp, hook it (slang) do a runner (slang) do a bunk Brit. (slang) fly the coop U.S., Canad. (informal) make a break for it, slip through your fingers, skedaddle (informal) take a powder U.S., Canad. (slang) make your getaway, take it on the lam U.S., Canad. (slang) break free or out, make or effect your escape, run away or off, do a Skase Austral. (informal)

verb 2. avoid, miss, evade, dodge, shun, elude, duck, steer clear of, circumvent, body-swerve Scot.

verb 3. be forgotten by, be beyond (someone), baffle, elude, puzzle, stump

verb 4. (usually with from) leak out, flow out, drain away, discharge, gush out, emanate, seep out, exude, spurt out, spill out, pour forth

noun 5. getaway, break, flight, break-out, bolt, decampment

noun 6. avoidance, evasion, circumvention, elusion

noun 7. relaxation, relief, recreation, distraction, diversion, pastime