abandon

[ uh-ban-duhn ]

/ əˈbæn dən /

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See synonyms for: abandon / abandoned / abandoning / abandoner on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to leave completely and finally; forsake utterly; desert: to abandon one's farm;to abandon a child;to abandon a sinking ship.

to give up; withdraw from; discontinue: to abandon a research project;to abandon hopes for a stage career.

to give up the control of: to abandon a city to an enemy army.

to yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses, usually without self-control: to abandon oneself to grief.

Law. to cast away, leave, or desert, as property or a child.

Insurance. to relinquish (insured property) to the underwriter in case of partial loss, thus enabling the insured to claim a total loss.

Obsolete. to banish.

OTHER WORDS FOR abandon

3 yield, surrender, resign, waive, abdicate.

See synonyms for abandon on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR abandon

1 keep.

2 continue; begin, start.

3 retain.

See antonyms for abandon on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of abandon

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English abando(u)nen, from Middle French abandoner for Old French (mettre) a bandon “(put) under (someone's) jurisdiction,” equivalent to a “at, to” (from Latin ad; see ad-) + bandon, from unattested Germanic band; see bond¹

synonym study for abandon

1. See desert². 2. Abandon, relinquish, renounce mean to give up all concern in something. Abandon means to give up or discontinue any further interest in something because of discouragement, weariness, distaste, or the like: to abandon one's efforts. Relinquish implies being or feeling compelled to give up something one would prefer to keep: to relinquish a long-cherished desire. Renounce implies making (and perhaps formally stating) a voluntary decision to give something up: to renounce worldly pleasures.

OTHER WORDS FROM abandon

a·ban·don·a·ble, adjectivea·ban·don·er, nouna·ban·don·ment, nounun·a·ban·don·ing, adjective

Words nearby abandon

Abailard, Abakan, abalone, abamp, abampere, abandon, abandoned, abandonee, Abandon hope, all ye who enter here, abandonment, abandonware

Other definitions for abandon (2 of 2)

abandon²

[ uh-ban-duhn ]

/ əˈbæn dən /

noun

a complete surrender to natural impulses without restraint or moderation; freedom from inhibition or conventionality: to dance with reckless abandon.

OPPOSITES FOR abandon

restraint, constraint.

See antonyms for abandon on Thesaurus.com

Origin of abandon

First recorded in 1815–25; from French, noun derivative of abandonner to abandon¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use abandon in a sentence

After an outbreak in Beijing in June, China abandoned its previous strategy of confining millions of people to their homes.
As infection rates rise, Europe embraces a ‘lockdown lite’ strategy|kdunn6|September 24, 2020|Fortune
Today, Rollins has largely abandoned his pursuit of the bonus payments from Medicaid.
He Wanted to Fix Rural America’s Broken Nursing Homes. Now, Taxpayers May Be on the Hook for $76 Million.|by Max Blau for Georgia Health News|September 22, 2020|ProPublica
A lifetime after Stewart turned in her stepfather and was abandoned to his abuses, four words cut across the years.
Her Stepfather Admitted to Sexually Abusing Her. That Wasn’t Enough to Keep Her Safe.|by Nadia Sussman|September 18, 2020|ProPublica
Well 20 in the Midway-Sunset field was drilled in 1927 and abandoned by Chevron in the 1980s.
Oil Companies Are Profiting From Illegal Spills. And California Lets Them.|by Janet Wilson, The Desert Sun, and Lylla Younes, ProPublica|September 18, 2020|ProPublica

Shell’s experience in 2015, when it abandoned plans to drill offshore in the Arctic under heavy pressure, indicate what other companies can expect.
The Trump administration opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies—but none may bite|By Scott L. Montgomery/The Conversation|August 26, 2020|Popular-Science
They tried to continue their getaway but had to quickly abandon their vehicle on the Rue de Meaux in the 19th.
Police Hunt for Paris Massacre Suspects|Tracy McNicoll, Christopher Dickey|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Will he go for the schoolteacher and abandon the family, leaving behind his smashing dinner suits?
What Downton’s Fashion Really Means|Katie Baker|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
After the captain made the call to abandon ship, 150 people were able to escape on lifeboats lowered by electronic arms.
‘We’re Going to Die’: Survivors Recount Greek Ferry Fire Horror|Barbie Latza Nadeau|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
No one, of course, was “repressing” Klaus or preventing him from “expressing his views,” something he does with abandon.
Vaclav Klaus, Libertarian Hero, Has His Wings Clipped by Cato Institute|James Kirchick|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The show started filming in Israel over the summer, but was forced to abandon the location as political tensions escalated.
After The Fall: Introducing The Anti-Villain|Rich Goldstein|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Before daybreak we had ridden five and twenty miles, but had been compelled to abandon two more guns.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
In case that they would not abandon the religion which they preached, the officials of Masamune commenced to execute their orders.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
They spoke like this because they are accustomed to abandon altogether those whom they have once judged incurable.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
This picture laughs, as children laugh, with perfect abandon.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
There are those who tell us—and they number many millions—that we must abandon them entirely.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock

British Dictionary definitions for abandon

abandon

/ (əˈbændən) /

verb (tr)

to forsake completely; desert; leave behindto abandon a baby; drivers had to abandon their cars

abandon ship the order given to the crew of a ship that is about to sink to take to the lifeboats

to give up completelyto abandon a habit; to abandon hope

to yield control of or concern in; relinquishto abandon office

to give up (something begun) before completionto abandon a job; the game was abandoned

to surrender (oneself) to emotion without restraint

to give (insured property that has suffered partial loss or damage) to the insurers in order that a claim for a total loss may be made

noun

freedom from inhibitions, restraint, concern, or worryshe danced with abandon

Derived forms of abandon

abandonment, noun

Word Origin for abandon

C14: abandounen (vb), from Old French, from a bandon under one's control, in one's power, from a at, to + bandon control, power

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

abandon

OTHER WORDS FOR abandon

OPPOSITES FOR abandon

Origin of abandon

synonym study for abandon

OTHER WORDS FROM abandon

Words nearby abandon

Other definitions for abandon (2 of 2)

OPPOSITES FOR abandon

Origin of abandon

Words related to abandon

How to use abandon in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for abandon

Derived forms of abandon

Word Origin for abandon