abandon
to leave completely and finally; forsake utterly; desert: The crew finally abandoned the sinking ship and boarded a lifeboat.He abandoned his wife and children, leaving them in poverty.
to give up; withdraw from; discontinue: She had to abandon the research project when the grant money dried up.I’ve abandoned all hope of a stage career.
to give up the control of: After a long struggle, they abandoned the city to the invading army.
to yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses, usually without self-control: After the breakup, he fell apart and abandoned himself 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.
a complete surrender to natural impulses without restraint or moderation; freedom from inhibition: During this retreat you will learn to play and dance with reckless abandon.
Origin of abandon
1synonym study For abandon
Other words for abandon
Opposites for abandon
Other words from abandon
- a·ban·don·a·ble, adjective
- a·ban·don·er, noun
- a·ban·don·ment, noun
- un·a·ban·don·ing, adjective
Words Nearby abandon
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
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 | FortuneToday, 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 | ProPublicaA 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 | ProPublicaWell 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 | ProPublicaShell’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 | THE DAILY BEASTWill he go for the schoolteacher and abandon the family, leaving behind his smashing dinner suits?
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 | THE DAILY BEASTNo 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 | THE DAILY BEASTThe show started filming in Israel over the summer, but was forced to abandon the location as political tensions escalated.
Before daybreak we had ridden five and twenty miles, but had been compelled to abandon two more guns.
In case that they would not abandon the religion which they preached, the officials of Masamune commenced to execute their orders.
They spoke like this because they are accustomed to abandon altogether those whom they have once judged incurable.
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 ClementThere 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
/ (əˈbændən) /
to forsake completely; desert; leave behind: to 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 completely: to abandon a habit; to abandon hope
to yield control of or concern in; relinquish: to abandon office
to give up (something begun) before completion: to 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
freedom from inhibitions, restraint, concern, or worry: she danced with abandon
Origin of abandon
1Derived forms of abandon
- abandonment, noun
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
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