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. 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 / us / tʊk / past simple of take (Definition of took from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press) 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. 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. / tʊk / uk / 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. The word took is an inflection (specifically, the simple past tense) of the irregular verb take . The etymological root of take comes from Old English tacan, which in turn is from Old Norse taka. Book reservations, takeout, and unique culinary experiences at restaurants, bars, and wineries around the globe.