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What is Get rid of? The usage of Get rid of in English

The phrase Get rid of is commonly used in both conversation and English exams. So what is Get rid of? How can you use this phrase most accurately? Check out the article below to deeply understand and remember the usage of Get rid of, Preppies!

I. What is Get rid of?
II. How to use Get rid of
III. Words/phrases that go with Get rid of
1. 1. Get rid of synonyms
2. 2. Fixed phrases with Get rid of
IV. Exercises with Get rid of
1. 1. Exercise
2. 2. Answer

I. What is Get rid of?

The Get rid of meaning is: to find a way to make someone leave because you do not want the person to be with you any longer or to remove something that you do not want any longer, depending on the context of the sentence. This is a commonly used phrase in conversation, and is not too formal. For example:

He can’t wait to get rid of that ugly old couch.
Linda went on talking and talking. Peter finally got rid of her by saying he had to make dinner.

II. How to use Get rid of

The phrase Get rid of has various nuances and meanings, so you need to be careful to use it in the right context and with the right tone to avoid misunderstandings. Here are the structures of Get rid of and their different variations:

Structures of Get rid of	Meaning	Example
Be rid of somebody/something	In a formal way	We didn’t enjoy marking those papers, and we were glad to be rid of this task.
Get rid of somebody/something	In a normal way	I finally got rid of my little sister by telling her scary stories.
Want rid of somebody/ something	In a informal way	He said he wanted rid of me.

In addition, to better distinguish each structure, you can understand them according to the following specific semantic forms:

Structures of Get rid of	Meaning
Be rid of something/ somebody	to have taken action so that something or someone is no longer there to worry or annoy you.
Get rid of something/ somebody	to throw away or destroy something you do not want anymore; to take action so that you no longer have something unpleasant that you do not want; to make someone leave because you do not like them or because they are causing problems.
Want rid of something/ somebody	to want to no longer have or be affected or bothered by (something or someone unwanted).

Note:

In the above Get rid of structures, the word "RID" is used as an adjective, however, we can also use "Rid" as a regular verb.

"Rid" means: to free a person or place of something unwanted or harmful. Please note that when using "Rid" as a verb, it requires an object to complete the meaning. For example:

I can’t rid myself of the fear of running out of money.
I tried to rid myself of my annoying guests, but I couldn’t.

III. Words/phrases that go with Get rid of

Let's review the words/phrases that can go with Get rid of below:

1. Get rid of synonyms

Some words/phrases that have a similar meaning to Get rid of include:

Words/phrases	Meaning	Example
Discard /dɪsˈkɑːrd/	to throw something away or get rid of it because you no longer want or need it	She makes clothes from things people have discarded.
Eliminate /ɪˈlɪmɪˌneɪt/	to remove or take away someone or something	They eliminated the possibility that it could have been an accident.
Dump /dʌmp/	to get rid of something unwanted, especially by leaving it in a place where it is not allowed to be	Several old cars had been dumped near the beach.
Wipe out /waɪp aʊt/	to destroy something completely or cause something to be completely lost	Whole villages were wiped out in the fighting.
Scrap /skræp/	to get rid of something that is no longer useful or wanted, often using its parts in new ways	I scrapped our plans for a trip to France.
Sell out /sɛl aʊt/	to get rid of all of an item in exchange for money	I sold out the T-shirts in the first couple of hours.
Chuck /tʃʌk/	to throw something carelessly; to end a romantic relationship with someone	I just chucked my girlfriend.
Do away with /du əˈweɪ wɪθ/	to get rid of something or stop using something	These ridiculous rules and regulations should have been done away with months ago.
Reject /rɪˈdʒɛkt/	to refuse to accept, use, or believe something or someone	The appeal was rejected by the court.
Replace /rɪˈpleɪs/	to take the place of something, or to put something or someone in the place of something or someone else	The factory replaced most of its workers with robots.
Remove /rɪˈmuːv/	to take something or someone away from somewhere, or off something	The girl came to remove the rubbish from the backyard.
Dispose of /dɪˈspoʊz əv/	to get rid of someone or something or deal with something so that the matter is finished	He never uses that bike anymore, but he's very reluctant to dispose of it.
Exclude /ɪkˈskluːd/	to prevent someone or something from entering a place or taking part in an activity	Women are still excluded from the bar.
Throw away/out /θroʊ əˈweɪ/aʊt/	to get rid of something by treating it as garbage	So when are you going to throw away those old toys?
Send away /sɛnd əˈweɪ/	to dispatch or banish	He sent his application form away.
Expel /ɪkˈspɛl/	to force someone to leave a school, organization, or country	My sister was expelled from school for bad behavior.
Omit /oʊˈmɪt/	to fail to include or do something	He was omitted from the list of contributors to the report.

2. Fixed phrases with Get rid of

Fixed phrases	Example
Get rid of everything	Get rid of everything you possibly can before setting out, and don’t be afraid to donate things or send them home along the way.
Get rid of ... yourself	There are a number of ways to get rid of them yourself, or better yet, to prevent them.
Get rid of backwardness	Some people need to get rid of backwardness to better themselves.

IV. Exercises with Get rid of

After having a general understanding of Get rid of, let's practice some exercises to solidify your knowledge:

1. Exercise

Exercise 1: Choose the correct answer

She wants to get rid of ______, because they’re not good for her health.
1. canned foods
2. juice
3. vegetables
4. fruits
I can not __________ financial problems.
1. rid of myself having
2. rid myself of having
3. get rid of myself have
4. get rid myself of have
She is a mean person, I will __________ her.
1. get comfortably rid of
2. get comfortable rid of
3. comfortable rid of
4. comfortably rid of

Exercise 2: Rewrite the sentence using the phrase Get rid of

I hate my belly fat. I have been going to the gym every day.

➡ …………………………………………………..

My stomach is aching badly. I need to get the pills.

➡ …………………………………………………..

Smoking kills you. You must quit this bad habit.

➡ …………………………………………………..

He is the weakest one in our team. If we want to win, he shouldn’t be here anymore.

➡ …………………………………………………..

2. Answer

Exercise 1	Exercise 2
A B A	I have been going to the gym every day to get rid of my belly fat. I need to get the pills to get rid of my stomach ache. You must get rid of smoking (because it’s a bad habit). He is the weakest one in our team. If we want to win, he should be got rid of.

The article above has provided you with detailed information about the meaning, usage with examples of Get rid of. In addition, if you know any other interesting information about Get rid of or synonymous terms, don't hesitate to share them in the comments below!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.