abandona‧ban‧don1 /əˈbændən/ ●●○ W3 AWL verb [transitive] 
How could she abandon her own child?2to go away from a place, vehicle etc permanently, especially because the situation makes it impossible for you to stay SYN leave: We had to abandon the car and walk the rest of the way. Fearing further attacks, most of the population had abandoned the city.3to stop doing something because there are too many problems and it is impossible to continue: The game had to be abandoned due to bad weather. They abandoned their attempt to recapture the castle. Because of the fog they abandoned their idea of driving.4to stop having a particular idea, belief, or attitude: They were accused of abandoning their socialist principles. Rescuers had abandoned all hope of finding any more survivors.5abandon yourself to something literary to feel an emotion so strongly that you let it control you completely: She abandoned herself to grief.6abandon ship to leave a ship because it is sinking—abandonment noun [uncountable]
WORD ORIGINabandon1
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French abondoner, from abandon ‘surrendering’, from a bandon ‘into someone's power’VERB TABLE
abandon
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | abandon |
| he, she, it | abandons | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | abandoned |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have abandoned |
| he, she, it | has abandoned | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had abandoned |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will abandon |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have abandoned |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am abandoning |
| he, she, it | is abandoning | |
| you, we, they | are abandoning | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was abandoning |
| you, we, they | were abandoning | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been abandoning |
| he, she, it | has been abandoning | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been abandoning |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be abandoning |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been abandoning |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- a home for abandoned kittens and puppies
- A new-born baby was found abandoned on the steps of a hospital yesterday.
- All attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict have now been abandoned.
- Education leaders do not want to abandon California's commitment to affordable college education.
- My sister abandoned her husband and three children and went to live in Holland.
- Owing to rough weather, the coast guard had been forced to abandon the search.
- Retreating troops were told to abandon their weapons and run as fast as they could towards the beach.
- The 9-year-old boy was abandoned by his alcoholic father.
- The baby was found abandoned outside a local mosque.
- The government has now abandoned its plans to privatize parts of the health service.
- The suspect abandoned the car at Llewellyn and Hamilton Avenues.
- The volcano eruption forced the U.S. to abandon Clark Air Force Base.
- There was increased pressure on North Korea to abandon nuclear arms development.
- But if the general were the unclear, we could with reason abandon all science and inquiry.
- I wanted to be accurate about it and in order to be accurate, you have to abandon all restrictions.
- It will offer a fair rates policy that gives 100 percent. rates relief to people whom the present Government have abandoned.
- Knighton is reported to be ready to abandon his takeover bid.
- Long-term research projects within companies will most likely be abandoned altogether or sharply reduced.
- Republicans, meanwhile, are mulling whether to abandon the notion of filing ethics charges against Rep.
- So, intellectually unfashionable but undaunted, the idea of Utopia abandoned the world altogether and was launched into space.
- Sometimes Doogan abandons her classical re-visions altogether and heads into surrealism.
Longman Language Activatorto leave your husband, wife, girlfriend etc
· She promised faithfully that she would never leave him.leave somebody for somebody else · Simon has left me for his secretary, after fifteen years of marriage.
to suddenly leave your husband, wife, girlfriend etc in a way that they think is unfair: · I was three months pregnant when Peter walked out.walk out on: · She remembered the day her father had walked out on them and how her mother had just sat on the stairs and cried.
to suddenly leave your husband or wife in order to live with someone else and have a sexual relationship with them: · His wife ran off with one of the doctors at the hospital.
to leave your family, husband, children etc to avoid the responsibility of looking after them: · Mrs Hasan was deserted by her husband and had to support four children on her own.· His father had deserted the family when Graham was three years old.
to leave someone who depends on you for support, especially a child or animal: · The baby was found abandoned outside a local mosque.· My sister abandoned her husband and three children and went to live in Holland.· a home for abandoned kittens and puppies
to put something somewhere to move something to a place or position and leave it there: put something in/on/there etc: · Just put the bags on the table.· I can't remember where I put my keys.put something back (=put it in the place where it was before or where it should be): · I put the letter back in the envelope.put something away (=put it where it is usually kept): · It's time to put everything away now.put something down/put down something (=put something you are holding onto a surface): · She picked up a porcelain figurine and put it down again. put something up/put up something (=fasten something to a wall, ceiling, or in a high position): · I'm not allowed to put up any posters in my bedroom.
to carefully put something somewhere: place something on/in/over/there etc: · Every week someone comes and places fresh flowers on her grave.· Place some lemon slices on the fish before serving it.· Food is placed in a large cage, and when the animal enters, the door drops down.· Winters placed his hand on my arm, holding me back.
to put something in a place and not take it with you when you go: · Now, where did I leave my gym shoes?leave something in/on/on top of etc: · Just leave your umbrellas and things behind the door.· She had left all her personal belongings in the London apartment.leave something somewhere: · I'm sure I left my bag somewhere around here.
to put someone or something somewhere and never go back to get them, for example because you want to get rid of them or because you are unable to take them with you: · Retreating troops were told to abandon their weapons and run as fast as they could towards the beach.· A new-born baby was found abandoned on the steps of a hospital yesterday.
to carefully move something into the right position for a particular purpose: · Make sure you position the wheel correctly before you tighten up the nuts.· Federal troops were positioned around the city.
to put a bomb in a public place : plant something in/at/outside/nearby etc: · The two men planted the bomb outside Harrods department store in London.plant something in/on/there etc: · No rebel group has claimed responsibility for planting the explosives in the van.
to put something in someone's pocket, room, car etc in order to make them seem guilty of a crime: · It turned out the security services had planted the documents in his luggage.· He accused the police of planting evidence.
to put something on a surface, especially so that it is flat: lay something on/across something: · She unfolded the map and laid it on the table.lay something out/lay out something (=arrange something carefully on a surface): · Before you start packing, lay out all the clothes on the bed.lay something down/lay down something (=put something you are holding onto a surface): · Farley laid the gun down and surrendered.
to put down something big and heavy which you have been carrying - used especially in literature or stories: set something/it/them down: · They set the coffin down in front of the altar.set down something: · The movers brought in the dresser, which they set down against the wall.
to put something down - used especially when describing events in a formal or humorous way: · Aunt Augusta deposited the contents of her bag on the kitchen table.· After the lessons on the environment, children deposited much more litter in trash cans, rather than dropping it.
to stop doing something without successfully completing it to stop trying to do something because it is too difficult or because you are not determined enough: · I made several attempts to repair the damage, but gave up in the end.· Come on, don't give up yet!give up something: · We will never give up our struggle.give up doing something: · I've given up trying to get her to change her mind.give something up: · We did start a protest, but gave it up when we realized we would never be successful.
especially American to stop doing something before you have successfully completed it: · Bill was cold, hungry and tired and he wanted to quit.· She was having a lot of trouble finding a job, but she refused to quit.quit doing something: · I knew I'd never be any good at school, so I just quit trying.
to stop doing something that you had planned or started, because there are too many other problems involved: · The government has now abandoned its plans to privatize parts of the health service.· All attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict have now been abandoned.· Owing to rough weather, the coast guard had been forced to abandon the search.
to stop doing something that you have already started or that you intended to do: · Because of strong opposition, the government has dropped plans to increase taxes on fuel.drop everything: · I'm too busy to just drop everything and go out for the day.
informal to stop doing something because you are satisfied that you have done enough: · We've got most of the heavy work done, so I think we can leave it at that for today.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY They abandoned their attempt to recapture the castle. Because of the fog they abandoned their idea of driving. Rescuers had abandoned all hope of finding any more survivors.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES He ran into the burning house with reckless abandon (=without caring about the danger).
They abandoned their attempt to recapture the castle. Because of the fog they abandoned their idea of driving. Rescuers had abandoned all hope of finding any more survivors.· They had to abandon their attempt to climb the mountain.
(=leave your baby somewhere because you do not want it)· A disturbing number of babies are abandoned by their mothers.
(=left somewhere by a mother who does not want it)· The abandoned baby was found under a hedge.
(=leave someone in a bad situation)· The abandoned sailors were left to their fate on the island.
(=stop hoping)· After so long without any word from David, Margaret was starting to lose hope.
(=to stop believing in ideals)· Have these young people abandoned the ideals of the Civil Rights Movement?
· The city authorities have abandoned their plans to host the Super Bowl.
(=decide not to continue with it)· The plan was scrapped because it was too expensive.
(=stop pretending that you are doing something or that something is true)· Maria had abandoned any pretence of having faith of any kind long ago.
(=stop believing in them or trying to act by them)· It has been said that he abandoned his basic political principles while he was in power.
He ran into the burning house with reckless abandon (=without caring about the danger).· They called off the search when it got dark.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· All his long life the taste never abandoned him.· But the radiance and exuberance have never abandoned her.· Lexandro stared at Valence, and it was as if their minds conjoined for an instant - Valence would never abandon Lexandro.· In contrast, the tubes of a tubeworm are fixed and the worms never abandon their tubes.· It is still wonderful - both how far he moved from it and how he never abandoned it at all.
NOUN· Loretta decided she would have to abandon her attempt to see Veronica for the rest of the day.· Helen watched my grandmother with a peculiar horror, for my grandmother had abandoned all attempts to make herself presentable.· Charles realized that he must abandon the attempt to re-assert the Forest rights enjoyed by his medieval predecessors.· It abandons the attempt to detect a class struggle between exploiters and exploited within advanced capitalism.· Isabel abandoned the attempt and fought to regain her control instead.· In reality it was simply a recognition that the government had abandoned any serious attempt to keep monetary growth within targets.
· They abandoned their getaway car in Sealand Road.· Perhaps the engine of an abandoned car will start or a hot-air balloon will materialize.· Dennis Garvey drowned off the Norfolk coast after abandoning his car in Great Yarmouth.· Half an hour went by, and then we gave up, reluctantly deciding to abandon the car.· The two joyriders abandoned the stolen car and ran off.· Many aging enthusiasts began to abandon sports cars for sport utilities.· The joyriders abandoned the car nearby.· There was another abandoned car by the side of the road.
· Her parents offered no explanation when police boarded their plane at Chicago airport yesterday to arrest them for abandoning their children.· The ministry van arrived to collect the abandoned children and the eight boys and girls sent from up the northward coasts.· Sarah had abandoned her child, she couldn't want her back now.· Certainly if a father dies or abandons a child, the child will understandably mourn.· I could feel the sad power of disintegration: husbands gone off, wives abandoned, children baffled.· Four other abandoned children whose final days had not been as comfortable were buried that same day.· He would never forgive her for abandoning his child.· His wife ran away with another man, leaving him and abandoning the children.
· He made the hard decision to abandon the Old World.· The crisis and the government's decision to abandon its currency controls hit the already fragile banking system hard.· Ferris took the decision to abandon the aircraft, which crashed at 1205 at Oxborough, Norfolk.
· I shall not abandon the effort to persuade you otherwise.· The knowledgeable authorities occupy the institutional front row only because others have abandoned the effort.· Alyssia bared her teeth in a semblance of a smile and then abandoned the effort.· Democrats are discussing whether to abandon an effort to force a House vote on a resolution condemning the actions of Rep.· But the president claims he abandoned this effort when told that it would require a presidential decree.· Only once did I abandon an effort to sample a specific black smoker because I could not safely get into position.· But opposition proved overwhelming, and city officials, at least temporarily, abandoned their efforts.· But when a four-day strike at the unit threatened to stall vehicle production, Chrysler agreed to abandon those efforts.
· Instead, at this point Sartre at last abandons all hope of proving History as a totalization without a totalizer.· To abandon hope should be a one shot deal; a man should not have to do it twice.· She had long since abandoned that hope.· Thus, there is still enough separation between the Goldens and the Jerseys to keep Warriors fans from abandoning hope entirely.· She had abandoned all hope of getting her contract down in black and white!· At three in the morning, she abandoned any hope of getting to sleep.· My consolation is in your ecstasy when you abandon hope, and there's nothing to be done.
· This process abandons the old idea that it is necessary to start with a two-carbon feedstock to make the two-carbon acetic acid.· After discreet soundings, they prudently abandoned the idea, which would have involved a major encroachment upon judicial independence.· With a sense of relief I abandoned my idea of escape.· Why have you abandoned the idea?· The shadow cabinet decided in April 1912 that it would abandon the referendum idea and return to the full tariff policy.· Nevertheless, the appearance of Forbes' paper led Darwin to abandon any idea of a separate publication on the topic.
· The Government announced on 19 February that it was abandoning its plan to abolish legal aid in asylum cases.· So Sherman sighed and abandoned his plan to save his daughter from the elements.· He gives no money for the care of his son, and Aurora has abandoned plans to pursue child support.· Why don't we abandon the original plan and go straight to Debenham and Freebody, as we're so close.· Because of his claimed penury, Mr Hamilton has abandoned plans to contest the libel verdict.· He now abandons the desperate plan of separating his company into two.
· No clients of Engel and Rudman have abandoned their insurance policies.· Because the government abandoned any formal incomes policy there was less call for it to maintain close relations with union leaders.· The party has abandoned policies which made it unelectable in the 1980s.· We do not intend to abandon this policy.· At that late stage they abandoned a kick-and-chase policy and began moving the ball.· It is not clear, he said, whether the review will formally abandon the policy or simply ignore it.· Yet far from leading him to abandon or modify his policies, opposition incited him to more drastic methods.· It abandoned incomes policy in the private sector, seeking only to keep pay increases to public employees tightly under control.
· They abandoned the principle for the council tax, so no argument in principle remains.· Einstein had no intention of abandoning the relativity principle.· Without abandoning the principle of honour among thieves, let's look at those two points closely.· And it would largely abandon the principle of progressivity, under which the wealthy pay higher rates than the middle class.· Now he claims to have abandoned this principle, apparently for no other reason than the pursuit of electoral palatability.
· Termination would leave the government with no option but to invite bids for a new concession, or abandon the project.· I was sure that the raft and the team meant more to him than any idea of abandoning the project.· Is it worth paying the price or abandoning the project?· No organization likes being told that it has got to hold back its expansion or abandon some pet project.· But rising gas prices in the 1970s forced the corporation to abandon the project.· Catholic civil servants usually had to abandon any practical political project if they wished to proceed through the ranks.· The second-level decision required is whether or not to authorize further research or to abandon the project at decision node 2b.· Much of the renovation work was already done before a previous developer had to abandon the project.
· We should not abandon the search for a better way of determining pay for all health service staff.· By the 1990s, large and institutional investors had abandoned the search for security and demanded instead fat returns on investments.· After throwing things around in a very haphazard fashion she finally abandoned her search.· Somewhat bewildered, they abandoned the search and the world heard about yet another maritime tragedy.
· I don't understand why Andropulos and the others didn't abandon ship earlier.· They enrolled here expecting much and are reluctant to abandon ship, though I have argued with them.· The crew now wanted to abandon ship, and a few minutes later red flares were seen dead ahead.· Ribault soon had to abandon the other two ships, the last reminders of a planned Huguenot empire.· Paul Reichmann was not yet ready to abandon the ship.· He was discouraged, ready to abandon ship.· Of course I don't want to abandon ship.· We make ready to abandon ship!
VERB· But when she left me in the snow, without an explanation, I felt abandoned.· Suddenly the soldier feels himself abandoned and cast off from all security.· I don't feel I can abandon Crevecoeur after having worked with hir all this time.· Coaches often are left to feel abandoned as well, unable to field enough players, even in the smaller leagues.· One is whether Communists continue to see the president as their leader, or start to feel he has abandoned them.· When this need is not met, a woman may feel abandoned, lonely, and insecure.· Fourth, the strange reluctance he felt about abandoning Downes as Suspect Number One.· He felt not free but abandoned.
· Chilperic and Guntram united against him, but Sigibert forced Guntram to abandon the alliances on two occasions.· However, stricter voting procedures had forced the Democrats to abandon their traditional corruptions.· He says they should not be forced to abandon their education.· I had two punctures and was forced to abandon the Nissan.· Frostbite forced them to abandon the expedition.In 1988 and 1989 they were defeated by freak weather conditions.· The driving rain saw streams turned into muddy torrents, blocking roads and forcing some motorists to abandon their cars.· He rattled off the list of headline-worthy cases he was being forced to abandon.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
- By the time we reached Totnes, in Devon, we had abandoned ourselves to our despair.
- For several blissful seconds she abandoned herself to his kiss, and to all the incredible, startling sensations exploding inside her.
- He began to cry in earnest, abandoning himself to a storm of weeping, sobbing against his folded arms.
- I abandon myself to you ... I even want you to abuse and degrade me.
- The Near East surrendered, abandoning itself to the invaders.
- The soul abdicates quickly and the flesh abandons itself to shudders.
- They danced wildly down the street, abandoning themselves to the night and the moon.
- What would it feel like to abandon herself to his touch?
- He was discouraged, ready to abandon ship.
- I don't understand why Andropulos and the others didn't abandon ship earlier.
- Of course I don't want to abandon ship.
- The crew now wanted to abandon ship, and a few minutes later red flares were seen dead ahead.
- They enrolled here expecting much and are reluctant to abandon ship, though I have argued with them.
- We make ready to abandon ship!
- As a raconteur and conversationalist, scattering indiscretions and gossip with gay abandon, he was the acme of unconventionality.
WORD FAMILYnounabandonmentadjectiveabandonedverbabandon
1to leave someone, especially someone you are responsible for: How could she abandon her own child?2to go away from a place, vehicle etc permanently, especially because the situation makes it impossible for you to stay SYN leave: We had to abandon the car and walk the rest of the way. Fearing further attacks, most of the population had abandoned the city.3to stop doing something because there are too many problems and it is impossible to continue: The game had to be abandoned due to bad weather. They abandoned their attempt to recapture the castle. Because of the fog they abandoned their idea of driving.4to stop having a particular idea, belief, or attitude: They were accused of abandoning their socialist principles. Rescuers had abandoned all hope of finding any more survivors.5abandon yourself to something literary to feel an emotion so strongly that you let it control you completely: She abandoned herself to grief.6abandon ship to leave a ship because it is sinking—abandonment noun [uncountable]- Southern Baptist
- Southern belle
- southerner
- southern hemisphere
- Southern Ireland
- Southern Lights
- southernmost
- Southern States
- Southey, Robert
- South Georgia
- South Glamorgan
- South Island
- South Kensington
- South Korea
- South of France
- South Pacific
- southpaw
- South Pole
- South Sea
- South Sea Bubble
- South Seas
- South Wales
- southward
- southwards
- Southwark