noun

das Abschneiden, –

cut off · perform

Definition & meaning

Abschneiden is the infinitive of a separable German verb. Its meaning depends on context:

To cut off or cut away a part of something, often with a tool.
Er schnitt ein Stück Papier ab means “He cut off a piece of paper.”
To block or cut off a route or connection.
Jemandem den Weg abschneiden means “to cut someone off” or “to block someone’s way.”
To perform or fare in a test, competition, or comparison.
Sie hat gut abgeschnitten means “She did well.”
Die Mannschaft schnitt schlecht ab means “The team performed poorly.”

Grammar & Word origin

Abschneiden is formed from the prefix ab (“off, away”) and schneiden (“to cut”).

It is a separable verb: in a main clause, ab moves to the end: Er schneidet das Papier ab (“He cuts the paper off”). Its simple past is schnitt ab , and its past participle is abgeschnitten , used with haben .

When nominalized, das Abschneiden means “performance” or “result,” especially in a contest or evaluation.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms vary by meaning:

abtrennen means “to separate off”; it emphasizes separating one part from another.
kürzen means “to shorten” or “reduce”; it does not necessarily involve physically cutting something.
kappen means “to cut” or “sever,” often abruptly, and can also refer to interrupting a connection.
For the performance sense, sich schlagen can mean “to fare” or “to perform,” but is often more informal.

There is no single antonym for all meanings. When something is cut or separated, possible opposites include verbinden (“to connect”) and zusammenfügen (“to join together”). For length, verlängern (“to lengthen”) can be an opposite of cutting something shorter. In the performance sense, the opposite depends on context: gut abschneiden (“to do well”) contrasts with schlecht abschneiden (“to do poorly”).