get rid of — remove
phrasal verbB1IELTS 5+neutralcore
To throw away, eliminate, or stop having something you do not want or need.
Say it like a native
Textbook We ought to dispose of these unwanted items.
Native We should get rid of this junk.
'Get rid of' is the everyday verb for throwing things out; 'dispose of unwanted items' is a council leaflet.
Pattern: get rid of + noun/pronoun
In use
- I need to get rid of these old magazines because they're taking up too much space.daily life
- If I had to move to another country, I would get rid of most of my furniture and only take what I really need.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I want to get rid off these old clothes.
✓ I want to get rid of these old clothes.
It's 'get rid OF' (one 'f') — not 'rid off'.
Common collocations
get rid of + thing— the rubbish, old stuff, the smell, it
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'give up', which means to stop doing something.