abandon Definition
aban·don (ə ban′dən)
transitive verb
- to give up (something) completely or forever to abandon all hope
- to leave, as in danger or out of necessity; forsake; desert
- to yield (oneself) completely, as to a feeling, desire, etc.
Etymology: ME abandonen < OFr abandoner < mettre a bandon, to put under (someone else's) ban, relinquish: see ban
noun
unrestrained freedom of action or emotion; surrender to one's impulses to shout in wild abandon
abandon Related Forms
abandon Synonyms
abandon
n.
abandon Synonyms
abandon
v.
To give up
relinquish, leave off, withdraw from, discontinue, quit, give over, break off, throw over, throw off, let go, cease, desist, renounce, forgo, forswear, dispense with, lay down, cast aside, cast off, cast away, discard, give away, hand over, part with, surrender, forfeit, yield, deliver, cede, lay aside, concede, waive, abdicate, resign, disclaim, back down from, back out of, go back on, break with, break, drop, lose hope of, despair of, have done with, be done with, secede from, bow out, pull out, apostatize, quitclaim, break the pattern, break the habit, chuck*, throw in the towel, throw in the sponge*, cop out*, hang up the fiddle*. To leave a person, place, or thing in trouble
desert, forsake, leave, quit, back out on, run away, break with, break up with, defect, reject, disown, cast off, ostracize, maroon, strand, have done with, be done with, depart from, flee, vacate, evacuate, throw over, throw overboard, jettison, leave behind, slip away from, turn one's back on, stand up*, leave in the lurch*, leave high and dry*, walk out on*, run out on*, skip out on*, fink out on*, take a powder*, duck out*, bolt*, bail out*, turn tail*, leave flat*, leave in the cold*, drop*, ditch*, bid a long farewell*.
abandon implies leaving a person or thing, either as a final, necessary measure to abandon a drought area or as a complete rejection of one's responsibilities, claims, etc. she abandoned her child; desert emphasizes leaving in willful violation, as of one's obligation or oath the soldier deserted his post; forsake stresses renouncing a person or thing formerly dear to one to forsake one's friends or ideals; quit, meaning to leave or give up I quit my job, is also commonly used now simply to mean stop
abandon Law Definition
v
- To intentionally give up for all time an assertion or a claim of an interest in property or in a right or privilege.
- To repudiate, withdraw from, or otherwise disassociate oneself from a duty or responsibility.
- To intentionally fail to complete.
abandon Usage Examples
Object
- vehicle: To report an abandoned vehicle please complete an online form.
- pretense: And it was the day when Labor finally abandoned any pretense that it was serious about the reform of our public services.
- mine: In Ukraine, we follow a group of miners so desperate for work that they've taken over an abandoned mine for themselves.
- ship: With no way of repairing the damage, the order to abandon ship was given.
- quarry: The dip of the rocks is clearly seen where slate is exposed in the now abandoned quarries and along the shore.
- siege: In the Midlands, the Royalists abandon the siege of Warwick Castle on hearing news of the approach of the parliamentary relief force.
Preposition: on
land: The vehicle is abandoned on private land - what do I do?
Preposition: as
baby: Giving specialist advice and support to adults abandoned as babies.
Adjective complement
due: It may have been made in 1816 and abandoned due to bad weather, or in 1817.
Modifying Another Word
- altogether: Paul seems to have altogether abandoned his old name of Saul.
- temporarily: Next, according to notes discovered by Frances Darwin, his father temporarily abandoned his work in order to visit Ascot.
- eventually: A pilot scheme, although successful in many respects was deeply problematic and was eventually abandoned in 1993.
- virtually: By the mid 17th century, Wolvesey Palace had been virtually abandoned.
- finally: Fairfax was there with his army on the 10th of January, 1646, about which time the blockade of Plymouth was finally abandoned.
- officially: During this same year, the Nottingham Canal was officially abandoned by its ( railroad ) owners.
Preposition: before
completion: The best evidence for an association with the regime is the fact that it was abandoned before completion.
Used with why or when
- when: Plans for such in the early 1990s were bitterly opposed and abandoned when the Conservatives lost control of the County Council in 1993.
- what: Rumsfeld intends to abandon what he sees as old ideas, such as using tanks to seize territory.
Preposition: in
favor: The quest for equality has increasingly been abandoned in favor of the claim to a diverse society.
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