English

Verb

get to ‎(third-person singular simple present gets to, present participle getting to, simple past got to, past participle got to or (North America) gotten to)

1. To reach, arrive at.

   I’ll call you when I get to the railway station.‎

   • 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher, chapterII:

     Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.

   • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 8, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:

     Afore we got to the shanty Colonel Applegate stuck his head out of the door. His temper had been getting raggeder all the time, and the sousing he got when he fell overboard had just about ripped what was left of it to ravellings.

2. To have an opportunity to or be allowed to (do something desirable or do something that is ironically implied to be desirable).

   How come he gets to be hall monitor? No fair!  On New Year’s Eve I got to stay up late to watch the ball drop on Times Square. I get to clean the toilets today.‎

3. To affect adversely; to upset or annoy.

   This job’s really getting to me. I don’t know how much longer I’ll last.‎

4. To track down and intimidate.

   He’s refusing to testify. I think the Mob got to him.‎

See also

• get at

Translations