commit and give share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. commit means “perform an act, usually with a negative connotation”. give means “cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense”. give is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/kəˈmɪt/
1.v.perform an act, usually with a negative connotation
“perpetrate a crime”
2.v.give entirely to a specific person, activity, or cause
“She committed herself to the work of God”
3.v.cause to be admitted; of persons to an institution
“After the second episode, she had to be committed”
/ˈɡɪv/
1.v.cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
“She gave him a black eye”
2.v.be the cause or source of
“He gave me a lot of trouble”
3.v.transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody
“I gave her my money”
| commit | give | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /kəˈmɪt/ | /ˈɡɪv/ |
| Said | kuh-MIT | giv |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | verb | verb, noun |
| Senses | 6 | 45 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | perpetrate, pull | none recorded |
Full entry for commit · Full entry for give · More comparisons