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

“The narrative that central banks have abandoned gold is just not supported by the data,” said Jan Skoyles, the U.K.-based head of marketing at precious-metals dealer GoldCore.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026

Some such green projects have been abandoned as too costly and others are in the initial stages, said Vernet.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

The company eventually abandoned that approach, selling the product through retailers, but sales still tapered out.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

While American baseball abandoned the splitter, the pitch remained part of the cultural fabric for Japanese pitching.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

I walked past the mill, now abandoned and silent.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff