quit
1 Americanverb (used with object)
-
to stop, cease, or discontinue.
She quit what she was doing to help me paint the house.
- Antonyms:
- start
-
to depart from; leave (a place or person).
They quit the city for the seashore every summer.
- Antonyms:
- enter
-
to give up or resign; let go; relinquish: She quit her job.
He quit his claim to the throne.
She quit her job.
-
to release one's hold of (something grasped).
-
to acquit or conduct (oneself).
-
to free or rid (oneself): to quit oneself of doubts.
-
to clear (a debt); repay.
verb (used without object)
-
to cease from doing something; stop.
-
to give up or resign one's job or position.
He keeps threatening to quit.
-
to depart or leave.
-
to stop trying, struggling, or the like; accept or acknowledge defeat.
adjective
noun
verb
-
(tr) to depart from; leave
he quitted the place hastily
-
to resign; give up (a job)
he quitted his job today
-
(intr) (of a tenant) to give up occupancy of premises and leave them
they received notice to quit
-
to desist or cease from (something or doing something); break off
quit laughing
-
(tr) to pay off (a debt); discharge or settle
-
archaic (tr) to conduct or acquit (oneself); comport (oneself)
he quits himself with great dignity
adjective
Other Word Forms
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; ” see also quite ( def. )
Origin of quit2
First recorded in 1845–50; originally Jamaican English, of uncertain origin
Explanation
To quit means to stop doing something. You might quit a lousy job or quit eating dessert. The verb quit can also mean to leave a place or depart from a location. This meaning isn't used as frequently in conversation now as it used to be, but you can still use it to mean leaving somewhere. For example, if you choose to move from sunny California to Maine because you think you'll like the seasons better, you could say you plan to quit California for a colder climate.
Vocabulary lists containing quit
Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q
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Workshop 3, Part 1
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The Search Is Over: Synonyms for "Stop"
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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:
When Clacton's last by-election took place in 2014, it was triggered when the sitting MP Douglas Carswell quit the Conservatives to join Farage's old party UKIP.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
I quit social media after visiting my college-aged daughter, who bemoaned the perception that young people are all anxious, isolated and socially stunted because of the stranglehold of social media and TikTok.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
She noted that she and Cascardo had already made plans to quit California, but explained that they’d originally set their sights on setting up home in Portland, before pivoting to the East Coast.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
“That’s one reason I quit playing arenas and playing outdoors. It wasn’t about music — it was about being a human jukebox.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
But Antonina didn’t make a career of flying—she quit in 1950.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
It’s also interesting since a source alerted me to the fact that Rocket’s first commit happened just after Sequoia quitted of their CoreOS shares and board seat.
From Forbes ● Dec. 3, 2014
Then, with his handsome features wreathed in the smile of one handsomely forgiven, he quitted the Vatican, was smartly saluted by the Papal Guard.
From Time Magazine Archive
Amid delirious cheering, Signor Mussolini quitted the Capitol and strode toward his automobile.
From Time Magazine Archive
He quitted war invincible: and no sooner was his guiding hand withdrawn than disaster overtook the armies he had led.
From Time Magazine Archive
The day after, Diana and Mary quitted it for distant B——.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
Many who crossed did so after abruptly quitting their jobs as waiters, labourers or fishermen.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
In a letter posted online, he said quitting was "the only way" to end a "difficult period", but insisted the decision should not be "mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me".
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
He references “Wonder Man’s” most emotional scene, when Simon is in his junky Toyota Camry with Trevor, pondering quitting acting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026
Short of quitting the internet altogether, you can evaluate your feed by thinking like a researcher:
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026
Ever since European history last week and those damn pink triangles...it’s as if quitting trig opened up a channel of thinking I was pushing away.
From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King
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.
