Took functions as the simple past form and stands alone in a sentence: “She took the keys.” Taken, on the other hand, is the past participle and must appear with an auxiliary verb: “She has taken the keys” or “The keys were taken.” When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him. / tʊk / us / tʊk / past simple of take (Definition of took from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press) The meaning of TOOK is past tense of take. Synonyms for TOOK: held, grasped, gripped, clasped, laid hold of, clenched, caught, clutched; Antonyms of TOOK: dropped, released, discharged, freed, gave, liberated, passed, handed / tʊk / uk / tʊk / past simple of take (Definition of took from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press) Define took. took synonyms, took pronunciation, took translation, English dictionary definition of took. v. Past tense of take. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. TOOK definition: simple past tense of take. See examples of took used in a sentence. TikTok - trends start here. On a device or on the web, viewers can watch and discover millions of personalized short videos. Download the app to get started. Learn the difference between Taken or Took in English. Understand their grammar rules, tense usage, and common examples in simple language. A clear guide for English learners to master taken vs took.