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

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

From The Wall Street Journal

He had no memories other than being abandoned and alone on the human road.

From Literature

Eager fans who turned up at the event, located in an industrial area of the Scottish city, described it as "little more than an abandoned, empty warehouse".

From BBC

The kennels take on seized or abandoned animals that police are unable to house themselves.

From BBC

“It’s basically like a global supermarket of fake police stations,” he said of recent findings in abandoned scam compounds.

From The Wall Street Journal