take a bow

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈteɪk ə ˈbaʊ/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

take a bow (third-person singular simple present takes a bow, present participle taking a bow, simple past took a bow, past participle taken a bow)

1. To bow (gesture of deference).
2. (idiomatic) To accept praise, as performers in a theater at the end of their act.
3. (idiomatic) To end a performance; to leave.
4. (idiomatic, sarcasm) To take credit or blame for a particular outcome or circumstance.

   The years we spent together were the worst years of my life. You can take a bow.

Antonyms

• make one's bow

Translations

to accept applause at the end of a performance

Chinese: Mandarin: 谢幕 (zh) (xièmù) German: sich verbeugen; Applaus am ende einer Vorstellung akzeptieren (de) Hungarian: meghajol (hu) Italian: inchinarsi (it), fare (it) un (it) inchino (it) Polish: kłaniać się impf

See also

• Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take