abandon

[ uh-ban-duhn ]

verb (used with object)

1. 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

2. 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.

   Antonyms: start, begin, continue

3. to give up the control of:

   After a long struggle, they abandoned the city to the invading army.

   Synonyms: abdicate, waive, resign, surrender, yield

   Antonyms: retain

4. 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.

5. Law. to cast away, leave, or desert, as property or a child.
6. Insurance. to relinquish (insured property) to the underwriter in case of partial loss, thus enabling the insured to claim a total loss.
7. Obsolete. to banish.

noun

1. 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.

abandon

/ əˈbændən /

verb

1. to forsake completely; desert; leave behind

   to abandon a baby

   drivers had to abandon their cars

2. abandon ship
   the order given to the crew of a ship that is about to sink to take to the lifeboats
3. to give up completely

   to abandon a habit

   to abandon hope

4. to yield control of or concern in; relinquish

   to abandon office

5. to give up (something begun) before completion

   the game was abandoned

   to abandon a job

6. to surrender (oneself) to emotion without restraint
7. 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

1. freedom from inhibitions, restraint, concern, or worry

   she danced with abandon

Derived Forms

• aˈbandonment, noun

Other Words From

• a·ban·don·a·ble adjective
• a·ban·don·er noun
• a·ban·don·ment noun
• un·a·ban·don·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of abandon¹

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; ad- ) + bandon, from Germanic band (unrecorded); bond ¹; noun derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of abandon¹

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

How do you abandon deeply held beliefs about character, personal responsibility, foreign policy and the national debt in a matter of months?

From Salon

On the precipice of turning 40, somewhere halfway through this marathon of a life, I want to exhume what I feel I’ve abandoned and lost.

From Los Angeles Times

Some abandoned vehicles that look pretty much intact, apart from a dented bonnet here or a flat tyre there, are not spared either.

From BBC

A suspicious bag seemingly abandoned on a bench prompted the shutdown of the Torrance courthouse early Wednesday and drew the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s bomb squad to the scene.

From Los Angeles Times

Soon thereafter Vi is abandoned by yet another trusted loved one, while Caitlyn is rewarded for her hardened attitude against Zaun with raucous applause and a promotion.

From Salon

Related Words

• desert
• discard
• discontinue
• ditch
• drop out
• dump
• leave
• pull out
• quit
• stop
• surrender
• vacate
• withdraw