giving
/ˈɡɪv.ɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡɪv.ɪŋ/ (ame, ipa)
giving — noun
1. the act of offering money, presents, or other material goods to people who need
the act of offering money, presents, or other material goods to people who need them, especially as a form of charity or on special occasions such as birthdays and holidays.
The community's charitable giving helped the Tanaka family rebuild their home after the fire.
collocation: charitable giving
Salma's giving to the food bank ensured dozens of families had meals during the winter.
The school held a giving drive to collect coats and blankets for the homeless shelter.
Noa slipped five hundred dollars into the library's donation box after dark, choosing to stay anonymous.
The local museum expanded thanks to the generous giving of art collectors across the country.
- donation
refers to the actual item or money given, not the act
- charity
broader concept of helping those in need, often via organisations
- generosity
focuses on the quality of being willing to give, rather than the act itself
- hoarding
keeping things for oneself instead of giving to others
- selfishness
putting one's own needs first, unwilling to share
文法句型
giving + of + concrete noun (money, presents, clothes)
用法筆記
Often modified by adjectives like 'charitable', 'generous', or 'anonymous'. Frequently appears in compounds such as 'giving drive' or 'giving season'.
常見錯誤
2. the act of sharing knowledge, opinions, or instructions with another person, typ
the act of sharing knowledge, opinions, or instructions with another person, typically in a professional or helpful context.
The supervisor's clear giving of directions saved the team hours of confusion.
giving + of + abstract noun for imparting information
Amelia's giving of feedback was always constructive because she focused on solutions, not problems.
Chef Ramón pulled Nora aside after the rush and gave her balancing tips for the fish stew.
Adina's precise giving of instructions during the drill prevented any confusion among the new staff.
- imparting
more formal; suggests sharing knowledge or wisdom
- provision
formal; emphasises making something available
- communication
broader; covers any exchange of information
- withholding
keeping information or advice to oneself
- concealment
deliberately hiding information from others
文法句型
giving + of + abstract noun (advice, information, instructions)
用法筆記
More common in formal or written English than in everyday conversation. In casual speech, the verb form ('He gave us directions') is preferred over the noun form ('His giving of directions'). Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 involves material goods; sense 2 involves non-material transfers of knowledge.
常見錯誤
giving — adjective
- givingpositive
- more givingcomparative
- most givingsuperlative
1. willing to offer your time, money, emotional support, or other resources freely
willing to offer your time, money, emotional support, or other resources freely to help others, without expecting anything in return.
Femi is incredibly giving; he volunteers at the youth centre every Saturday.
giving person — describes a character trait
The town showed its giving spirit by raising funds for the new children's clinic.
collocation: giving spirit
Pedro has a truly giving heart — he always puts other people's needs before his own.
Neighbours brought tarpaulins, food, and tools after the storm tore the roof off the Chens' garden shed.
The librarian's giving nature made the reading room a warm and welcoming place for children.
- generous
the closest synonym; slightly broader, can describe both character and specific acts
- charitable
more specific to helping people in need, often through organisations
- selfless
emphasises putting others before oneself, often at personal cost
- benevolent
more formal; describes a kindly, giving disposition
文法句型
giving + noun (person, nature, heart, spirit)
be + giving
用法筆記
Describes character rather than a single action. You would call someone 'giving' if they consistently behave generously, not just after one generous act. Common in predicative position with 'be' ('She is very giving') and attributively before nouns ('a giving person').