taken

1. 1
   verb

   Past participle of take.

   The committee has taken steps to address the complaints.

   These photographs were taken during last summer's trip.

   Note

   The participle behind every perfect and passive use of take. With have it forms the perfect (has taken steps), and with be it forms the passive (were taken last summer). The simple past took does the other work alone. The -n ending is old: Old Norse tekinn, Danish and Swedish tagen, Scots tane. John Baxter in 1662 could still write that "many a hard daies labour you have taken."

2. 2
   adjectivecolloquial

   Already committed to a serious romantic relationship and therefore not available to other partners.

   She mentioned she was taken, so he never made a move.

   Half the people at the reunion turned out to be taken.

   Similarattached

   Oppositesingle, available, unattached

3. 3
   adjective

   Strongly attracted to, fond of, or charmed by someone or something.

   She was quite taken with the little cottage by the sea.

   He seemed taken with her wit from the moment they met.

   Similarsmitten, charmed, impressed, enchanted

   Oppositeunimpressed

   Note

   An adjective that still carries the verb's grip: to be taken with someone is to have been seized by their charm, almost captured. It grew from the past participle and points inward, toward the one who is charmed. It is followed by with and comes after a linking verb (was taken, seemed taken). It is often softened or strengthened by quite or very.

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