abandon
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
- Antonyms:
- keep
-
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.
- Antonyms:
- retain
-
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.
noun
verb
-
to forsake completely; desert; leave behind
to abandon a baby
drivers had to abandon their cars
-
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
noun
Synonym Usage
See desert 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 Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
abandonsimple
-
abandonssimple
-
have abandonedperfect
-
has abandonedperfect
-
am abandoningprogressive
-
are abandoningprogressive
-
is abandoningprogressive
-
have been abandoningperfect progressive
-
has been abandoningperfect progressive
Past
-
abandonedsimple
-
had abandonedperfect
-
was abandoningprogressive
-
were abandoningprogressive
-
had been abandoningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of abandon
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English verb abando(u)nen, from Middle French abandoner, from Old French (mettre) a bandon “(put) under (someone's) jurisdiction,” equivalent to a “at, to” (from Latin ad; see ad-) + bandon, from Germanic band (unrecorded); see bond 1; noun derivative of the verb
Explanation
To abandon something is to give it up completely. If you’re in a cabin and a forest fire approaches, you’d better get in your car and abandon your cabin, or else be prepared to abandon your life. If you abandon something, you let it go, so when you describe someone as "acting with abandon," it means they have let go of restrictions or inhibitions. Maybe you like to dance with abandon in the privacy of your own room. But abandon could also mean people have abandoned their senses. To "drive with abandon," for example, means to drive recklessly.
Vocabulary lists containing abandon
Vocabulary from the Introduction to "Reality is Broken" by Jane McGonigal
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"The Perils of Indifference," Vocabulary from the speech
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Story of an Hour"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Mr. Smil argues that we ought to abandon our obsession with speed as a good in itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
It has taught him that Spain lose when they abandon their identity.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Without support from ethnic minority armies, he predicted loosely organised PDFs would agree to truces or abandon the democratic cause to become "localised warlords" -- or "be wiped out".
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
“Hoping it’s a better-late-than-never situation,” Ader wrote of the decision to abandon his bullish call now.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
It was Ivan, a jaunt in his step and a cap too warm for the weather sideways on his head, swinging the metal-topped staff Kin had made for him with sloppy abandon.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
He abandons Lily to social, financial and bodily ruin—an end that feels as inevitable as the downfall of Antigone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
The chip abandons the standard method of spreading light into a rainbow.
From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026
Unless the Fed abandons that risk-management framework, focusing on a narrower inflation measure would not materially change policy if inflation risks are skewed one way or another.
From MarketWatch ● May 22, 2026
"It abandons Wales to a private only system no-one here, in all conscience, would design," he said.
From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2026
It may slip off treacherously, but its keeper never abandons it.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Crew members fought the fire but eventually abandoned ship, according to Vanguard, a maritime security company.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
Other senior Labour figures - such as former health secretary Wes Streeting - abandoned their own leadership ambitions and got behind Burnham, along with the overwhelming majority of the party's MPs.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The post was made by Sia Barbi in collaboration with animal rescue group Stray Cat Alliance after the cat had been abandoned at the Hancock Park home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
In February, Netflix abandoned an effort to buy Warner Bros.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
What if he’d been wrong about being abandoned on the road?
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
The process has never been tested, and right now former state Rep. Charles Booker, a Democrat, and GOP Rep. Andy Barr are squaring off for the seat McConnell is abandoning.
From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026
These creators are producing videos to reach the audiences abandoning broadcast news while racking up millions of views online and winning awards for innovative storytelling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
The majority sees constitutional privacy as capable of adapting to technological change without abandoning first principles.
From Slate ● Jun. 29, 2026
"Even though I am leaving the national team, I am not abandoning Korean football altogether," Hong said.
From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026
You’d have to be deep into the massive automotive clot to feel that abandoning your car was your only course of action.
From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
