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:
Additionally, I quit scrolling news sites for headlines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
It could be argued Tielemans' arrival addresses an issue Manchester United have had since Carrick quit in 2018; the scheming midfielder with an eye for a pass, who can break a defensive line.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
Overall subscriber growth in Medicare Advantage slowed in 2026 as insurers quit unprofitable markets and trimmed benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 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
I was feeling so good I could have hugged my grandpa’s neck, but ever since I had grown up to be a man, I had quit doing things like that.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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
The Dictator thanked the King for attending the opening so soon after his arrival from a visit to Morocco, and immediately quitted the building.
From Time Magazine Archive
Even by 1782, as an admiring French visitor observed, Jefferson, "without having quitted his own country," had become "an American who...is a musician, draftsman, astronomer, natural philosopher, jurist and a statesman."
From Time Magazine Archive
Amid delirious cheering, Signor Mussolini quitted the Capitol and strode toward his automobile.
From Time Magazine Archive
Once we would have said, Mr. Pecksniff quitted the firm, betted on the horses, and wetted his whistle, then wedded his sweetheart in a suit that fitted him perfectly.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
Elliot cites stories of people "quitting their jobs" to invest in items like Pokémon trading cards.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 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
Cracker Barrel's chief executive is quitting a year after the company faced a widespread backlash over its controversial rebrand.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Ex-smokers gain a slight increase in lung function weeks after quitting as swelling and inflammation settle down.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
He had left a message that over at the Roseland State Ballroom, the shoeshine boy was quitting that night, and Shorty had told him to hold the job for me.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
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.
