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Synonyms

quit

1 American  
[kwit] / kwɪt /

verb (used with object)

quit, quitted, quitting

  1. to stop, cease, or discontinue.

    She quit what she was doing to help me paint the house.
    Antonyms:
    start

  2. to depart from; leave (a place or person).

    They quit the city for the seashore every summer.
    Antonyms:
    enter

  3. to give up or resign; let go; relinquish: She quit her job.

    He quit his claim to the throne.

    She quit her job.
    Synonyms:
    release, vacate

  4. to release one's hold of (something grasped).

  5. to acquit or conduct (oneself).

  6. to free or rid (oneself): to quit oneself of doubts.

  7. to clear (a debt); repay.

verb (used without object)

quit, quitted, quitting

  1. to cease from doing something; stop.

  2. to give up or resign one's job or position.

    He keeps threatening to quit.

  3. to depart or leave.

  4. to stop trying, struggling, or the like; accept or acknowledge defeat.

adjective

  1. released from obligation, penalty, etc.; free, clear, or rid (usually followed byof ).

    quit of all further responsibilities.
quit 2 American  
[kwit] / kwɪt /

noun

  1. any of various small tropical birds.

quit British  
/ kwɪt /

verb

  1. (tr) to depart from; leave

    he quitted the place hastily

  2. to resign; give up (a job)

    he quitted his job today

  3. (intr) (of a tenant) to give up occupancy of premises and leave them

    they received notice to quit

  4. to desist or cease from (something or doing something); break off

    quit laughing

  5. (tr) to pay off (a debt); discharge or settle

  6. archaic (tr) to conduct or acquit (oneself); comport (oneself)

    he quits himself with great dignity
"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

adjective

  1. free (from); released (from)

    he was quit of all responsibility for their safety
"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
quit Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing quit

Other Word Forms

  • quittable adjective
  • unquitted adjective

Etymology

Origin of quit1

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English verb qui(t)ten “to pay, acquit oneself,” from Old French quit(t)er, from Medieval Latin quittāre, quiētāre “to release, discharge,” Late Latin quiētare “to put to rest, quiet; ” quite ( def. )

Origin of quit2

First recorded in 1845–50; originally Jamaican English, of uncertain origin

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.

And there isn’t very much the term-limited governor, playing out his final months in office, can offer as incentive to quit.

From Los Angeles Times

Another Reform candidate, Patrick Benham-Crosswell, announced he had quit last week.

From BBC

The quits rate can serve as a measure of workers’ willingness or ability to leave their job.

From The Wall Street Journal

Maybe this was hunger brewing inside her and not a realization that all she wanted to do was quit the language camp and go on home.

From Literature

“I guess I can help out sometimes. Just not all —” “And me quitting saves you time. I don’t have to suck up to Blakeman anymore, so you can quit going to the nursing home.”

From Literature

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.