escape
escape
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "escape" is /ɪˈskeɪp/.
es-: /ɪs/ - The 'e' is a schwa sound, and 's' is a voiceless alveolar fricative.
-cape: /keɪp/ - The 'c' is a voiceless velar stop, 'a' is a diphthong, and 'p' is a voiceless bilabial plosive.
Word Form Variations
Verb:
escape (base form)
escapes (third person singular present)
escaping (present participle)
escaped (past tense, past participle)
Noun:
escape (singular)
escapes (plural)
Adjective:
escaped (often used as a past participle acting as an adjective, e.g., "an escaped prisoner")
escaping (often used as a present participle acting as an adjective, e.g., "escaping gas")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Verb
Definition 1: To successfully get away from a place or situation where one is confined, held captive, or in danger.
Synonyms: flee, abscond, break free, bolt, decamp
Antonyms: remain, stay, be caught, be imprisoned, surrender
Definition 2: To avoid something undesirable or unpleasant.
Synonyms: elude, evade, dodge, circumvent, sidestep
Antonyms: confront, face, meet, encounter, incur
Definition 3: (Of a gas, liquid, or energy) to leak or issue from a container or confined space.
Synonyms: leak, seep, flow out, gush, discharge
Antonyms: contain, hold, retain, trap, seal
Noun
Definition 1: An act of breaking free or getting away from confinement, danger, or an unpleasant situation.
Synonyms: breakout, flight, getaway, liberation, refuge
Antonyms: capture, imprisonment, detention, confinement, entrapment
Definition 2: A means or opportunity to get away from a difficult or boring situation, often referring to a form of distraction or entertainment.
Synonyms: diversion, recreation, pastime, relief, outlet
Antonyms: burden, chore, drudgery, reality, responsibility
Examples of Use
Books:
"He tried to escape the terrible memories that haunted him, but they clung to him like a second skin." (From The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, August 2020)
"The protagonist's desperate attempt to escape the crumbling city provided a thrilling climax to the novel." (From a review of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir in Locus Magazine, May 2021)
Newspapers:
"Police are searching for a suspect who managed to escape from custody early this morning." (The New York Times, October 2023)
"The article detailed the daring escape of several prisoners from the maximum-security facility." (The Guardian, January 2024)
Online Publications:
"Tips for a Quick and Easy Weekend Escape to the Coast" (Headline on Lonely Planet's website, July 2024)
"The startup aims to help users escape the endless scroll of social media by offering curated content." (TechCrunch, March 2025)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "The final scene shows the hero making a dramatic escape from the burning building." (Review of Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One, July 2023)
Television Series: "In the latest episode, the characters plan an elaborate scheme to escape their captors." (Discussion thread for Severance on Reddit, February 2024)
Video Game: "The objective of the game is to find all the clues and escape the haunted mansion." (Game review of Resident Evil Village, May 2021)
Music: "The lyrics speak of a desire to escape the mundane realities of everyday life." (Analysis of a song by Taylor Swift, October 2022)
General Public Discourse:
"I just need a little weekend escape from all the stress of work." (Overheard in a coffee shop, June 2025)
"It's a great movie; it really lets you escape into another world for a couple of hours." (Casual conversation among friends, April 2025)
"The smell of freshly baked bread managed to escape from the bakery and fill the street." (Community forum post, December 2023)
10 Quotes Using Escape
"The only way to escape the personal corruption of praise is to go on working." (Albert Einstein)
"Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don't need to escape from." (Seth Godin)
"Reading is one form of escape. Running for your life is another." (Lemony Snicket)
"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." (Abraham Lincoln)
"People talk about escapism as if it's a bad thing. Once you've escaped, once you come back, the world is not the same as when you left it." (Neil Gaiman)
"Music should be your escape." (Missy Elliott)
"To escape and sit quietly on the beach - that's my idea of paradise." (Emilia Wickstead)
"No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality. Some form of escape is necessary." (Shirley Jackson)
"How did I escape? With difficulty. How did I plan this moment? With pleasure." (Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo)
"The best way to escape from a problem is to solve it." (Alan Saporta)
Etymology
The word "escape" has a fascinating origin that literally means "to get out of one's cape" or "to free oneself from one's clothing"!
Here's a breakdown:
From Latin to French: The journey of "escape" starts in Vulgar Latin (the everyday spoken Latin, not the formal written kind) with the word excappāre. This word was formed by combining:
ex- meaning "out of" or "from"
cappa meaning "cape" or "cloak"
So, excappāre literally meant "to slip out of one's cape." Imagine someone being held or grabbed by their clothing, and they manage to wriggle out of their cape to get away. This vivid image gives us the core meaning.
Into English: This Latin word then evolved into Old French as eschaper (and later into modern French échapper). From Old French, it entered Middle English as escapen around the late 13th to early 14th century (around 1250-1300).
First Known Use and Meaning: The first known use of "escape" in English, as a verb, was around 1330. Its initial meaning was very much in line with its Latin root: "to free oneself from confinement; to extricate oneself from trouble; to get away safely by flight (from battle, an enemy, etc.)." Essentially, it was about getting out of a tight or dangerous situation, just like slipping out of a cape to avoid being caught.
Over time, the meaning broadened to include avoiding unpleasant things, leaking of fluids, or even a mental or emotional "escape" from reality. But at its heart, "escape" is about slipping away from something that's trying to hold you.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Escape
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "escape":
Escape route: A planned or available way to get out of a dangerous or confined place.
Escape clause: A provision in a contract that allows one or both parties to avoid fulfilling certain obligations under specific conditions.
Narrow escape: A situation where one barely avoids danger or a bad outcome.
Escape velocity: (Scientific, but used idiomatically) The speed needed to break free from the gravitational pull of an object; metaphorically, the momentum needed to break free from a difficult situation.
Escape artist: Someone who is skilled at getting out of difficult situations, literally (like Houdini) or figuratively.
To make one's escape: To successfully get away.
A great escape: Often referring to a successful and often daring breakout or evasion.
To escape someone's notice/memory: To not be seen or remembered by someone.
To escape the rat race: To leave a competitive or stressful urban lifestyle.
To escape with one's life/skin: To survive a dangerous situation, often with injuries or minimal possessions.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of escape from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
