abandoned

American  

[uh-ban-duhnd] / əˈbæn dənd /

adjective

1. forsaken or deserted.

   an abandoned building; an abandoned kitten.

2. unrestrained or uncontrolled; uninhibited.

   She danced with abandoned enthusiasm.

3. utterly lacking in moral restraints; shameless; wicked.

   an abandoned and dissolute ruler.

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abandoned British  

/ əˈbændənd /

adjective

1. deserted

   an abandoned windmill

2. forsaken

   an abandoned child

3. unrestrained; uninhibited

   wild, abandoned dancing

4. depraved; profligate

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Related Words

See immoral.

Other Word Forms

• abandonedly adverb
• half-abandoned adjective
• unabandoned adjective

Etymology

Origin of abandoned

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; abandon + -ed ²

Example Sentences

But Iran has largely abandoned the idea of firing missiles from underground launch locations, according to Eveleth, owing to the technical difficulties of reusing silos.

From The Wall Street Journal

‘We found him abandoned on the streets a few weeks ago and took him in. He hasn’t learned all his manners yet.’

From Literature

But after two months and just over 30 concert performances, their major U.S. tour was abandoned.

From The Wall Street Journal

Over the last year, the number of asylum cases marked “abandoned” has doubled.

From Los Angeles Times

Cohesion, often a buzzword last year, has been abandoned for new faces and untested combinations.

From BBC