abandon
Americanverb (used with object)
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abandons,
present (3rd person singular)
-
abandoned,
past participle, past
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abandoning
present participle
-
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.
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Law. to cast away, leave, or desert, as property or a child.
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Insurance. to relinquish (insured property) to the underwriter in case of partial loss, thus enabling the insured to claim a total loss.
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Obsolete. to banish.
noun
verb
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to forsake completely; desert; leave behind
to abandon a baby
drivers had to abandon their cars
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the order given to the crew of a ship that is about to sink to take to the lifeboats
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to give up completely
to abandon a habit
to abandon hope
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to yield control of or concern in; relinquish
to abandon office
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to give up (something begun) before completion
to abandon a job
the game was abandoned
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to surrender (oneself) to emotion without restraint
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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
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abandonsimple
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abandonssimple
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have abandonedperfect
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has abandonedperfect
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am abandoningprogressive
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are abandoningprogressive
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is abandoningprogressive
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have been abandoningperfect progressive
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has been abandoningperfect progressive
Past
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abandonedsimple
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had abandonedperfect
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was abandoningprogressive
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were abandoningprogressive
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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
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"The Perils of Indifference," Vocabulary from the speech
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"The Story of an Hour"
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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:
In 1996, when Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan asked owner Peter O’Malley to abandon his plan to build an NFL stadium in the Dodger Stadium parking lot, O’Malley stood down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
Nearly four in five have witnessed patients abandon treatment because of problems with the process.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
Never quite had McLaren at the sharp end but made the right early call to abandon the slicks and start from the pit lane on intermediate tyres.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Alexander directed his early campaigns with astonishing abandon.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
No predators would abandon such a rich feast.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Even if Warsh’s Fed abandons that level of transparency, the minutes will still be useful for investors, according to Englander.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
The chip abandons the standard method of spreading light into a rainbow.
From Science Daily ● May 26, 2026
She abandons her academic and career ambitions, takes a job as a court interpreter, and marries Michael, an affable nurse who has little idea of her emotional burdens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2026
The possibility of him suiting up in Wolverine yellow, sorry, maize and blue makes me want to sign onto the next Artemis mission, so long as it abandons me on Pluto.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 7, 2026
For now, she abandons it and watches Marco as he crosses the room to reach the bookcases lining the wall.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
Ahead of his extradition to Germany, his lawyer here in Italy told me his client had felt "abandoned".
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
The Met said officers carried out two searches at addresses in the Peterborough area and that the abandoned vehicle was also recovered by officers.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
The Canadian owner of Circle K abandoned the bid in July last year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Police said a security patrol had spotted an abandoned vehicle near the Molesworth base and police found a "small breach" before arresting the men in the early hours of Thursday.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
As much as it broke his heart to be abandoned, Owen understood.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
Leaving the UK behind has not meant abandoning education, Dani stressed.
From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026
In his closing arguments, prosecutor Patricio Ferrai said that defendants' "chaotic organization" left the ailing player "in a helpless situation, abandoning him to his fate."
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
On Aug. 11, the 17 crew members on containership Vela Nova were close to abandoning the ship after it was hit by the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
“I’m getting a lot of emails from people saying that ‘we’re abandoning Metrolink.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
Dylan turns to me, once again abandoning the complex sorcery of the pause button.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
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.
