abandon

1 of 2

verb

aban·don ə-ˈban-dən How to pronounce abandon (audio)

abandoned; abandoning; abandons

transitive verb

: to give up to the control or influence of another person or agent

: to give up with the intent of never again claiming a right or interest in

abandon property

: to withdraw from often in the face of danger or encroachment

abandon ship

soldiers forced to abandon their position

: to withdraw protection, support, or help from

he abandoned his family

: to give (oneself) over unrestrainedly

abandoned himself to a life of self-indulgence

: to cease from maintaining, practicing, or using

abandoned their native language

: to cease intending or attempting to perform

abandoned the escape

abandoner noun

abandon

2 of 2

noun

: a thorough yielding to natural impulses

especially : enthusiasm, exuberance

with reckless abandon

Did you know?

You may associate this word with the act of leaving and never returning, given the familiarity of the verb abandon. But the noun abandon, with its more pleasant connotations of freedom, is likely here to stay despite being a relative newcomer. It only entered the English language in the early 1800s, as a borrowing from French that goes back to an Old French word meaning “surrender.” (English had borrowed the verb abandon centuries before from the French speakers living in medieval England.) Louisa May Alcott recognized the word's utility; she used it of Jo in Little Women, writing that “when the writing fit came on, she gave herself up to it with entire abandon, and led a blissful life, unconscious of want, care, or bad weather ...”

Example Sentences

Verb They abandoned the car on a back road. That house was abandoned years ago. The approaching fire forced hundreds of people to abandon their homes. The officer refused to abandon his post. The policy abandons the most vulnerable members of society. She abandoned the party not long after the election. Noun added spices to the stew with complete abandon See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

His performance made his book a best-seller and spurred consumers to abandon the Corvair. —

James Ross Gardner, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023 To avoid that scenario, Fed officials may need to abandon old ways of thinking, such as the Phillips Curve, which posits a tradeoff between unemployment and inflation. —

Quartz, 3 Feb. 2023 Medical schools, in response to the W.H.I., were quick to abandon menopausal education. —

Susan Dominus, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2023 However, urging them to abandon the use of fabrics like silk to truly become a vegan garment. —

Zizi Strater, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2023 Yet Blinken took the opportunity to encourage Netanyahu to abandon that policy. —

Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2023 Analysts point to what happened with North Korea, which had reached a 1994 deal with the U.S. to abandon its nuclear weapons program. —

Fox News, 27 Jan. 2023 The popping corks of New Year’s Eve may be a faint memory, but that’s no reason to abandon sparkling wines for another 11 months. —

oregonlive, 27 Jan. 2023 Even as the networks were starting to abandon the form, Bajaria kept finding ways to keep TV movies and miniseries relevant. —

Vulture, 26 Jan. 2023

Noun

Sixty years ago Art Nouveau came to be seen once again as excitingly rebellious by the proponents of a youthful counterculture who emphasized its joyous sensual abandon. —

Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 1 Dec. 2022 Powerful street gangs had seized control of parts of the country, trafficking drugs, extorting cash from small businesses and killing with such abandon that El Salvador ranked among the most murderous countries in the world. —

Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2022 An airline stewardess with a Pennsylvania Central aircraft glows in a classic white uniform with matching hat, showing the slow abandon of the dull colors common in the uniforms of the 1930s. —

Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2017 All the while, White earned a reputation for his bruising style and reckless abandon on the football field. —

Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2023 Mathurin was dynamite at all three levels, drilling 3-pointers, creating space for pull-up jumpers and, as always, careening down the lane with abandon on drives, finishing through contact and drawing fouls. —

Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Jan. 2023 By dancing with abandon down the condiments aisle, Jack and Babette are savoring the simple pleasures of everyday errands, knowing that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. —

Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2022 Amidst this visual cacophony, the teen somersaults and pirouettes through the air with youthful, fleet-footed abandon, a stirring example of combat as characterization and a striking note of harmony between Ragnarök’s narrative and its gameplay. —

Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2022 During the Maidan protests, where riot police used batons and eventually bullets with deadly abandon, Ratushnyi and Reva had taken shelter together for one night inside the cathedral grounds, the friend recalled. —

John Leicester, ajc, 18 June 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English abandounen, borrowed from Anglo-French abanduner, derivative of abandun "surrender, abandonment," from the phrase a bandun "in one's power, at one's disposal," from a "at, to" (going back to Latin ad "to") + bandun "jurisdiction," going back to a Gallo-Romance derivative of Old Low Franconian *bann- "summons, command" (with -d- probably from outcomes of Germanic *bandwō "sign") — more at at entry 1, ban entry 1, banner entry 1

Noun

borrowed from French, in part derivative of abandonner "to abandon," in part going back to Old French abandon, abandun "surrender" — more at abandon entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1815, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

abandon

1 of 2 verb

aban·don ə-ˈban-dən How to pronounce abandon (audio)

: to give up completely

: to withdraw from often in the face of danger

abandon ship

: to withdraw protection, support, or help from

abandoned the dog

: to give oneself up to an emotion

abandoner noun

abandonment

-mənt

noun

abandon

2 of 2 noun

: a complete yielding to natural impulses

especially : enthusiasm sense 1, exuberance

Legal Definition

abandon

transitive verb

aban·don

: to give up with the intent of never again asserting or claiming an interest in (a right or property)

: to disassociate oneself from or forsake in spite of a duty or responsibility to

abandon one's child

: to renounce one's obligations and rights under

abandon a contract

: to fail purposely to bring to completion or fruition

abandon a crime

abandon a lawsuit

单词	abandoner
释义	abandon 1 of 2 verb aban·don ə-ˈban-dən abandoned; abandoning; abandons transitive verb 1 a : to give up to the control or influence of another person or agent b : to give up with the intent of never again claiming a right or interest in abandon property 2 : to withdraw from often in the face of danger or encroachment abandon ship soldiers forced to abandon their position 3 : to withdraw protection, support, or help from he abandoned his family 4 : to give (oneself) over unrestrainedly abandoned himself to a life of self-indulgence 5 a : to cease from maintaining, practicing, or using abandoned their native language b : to cease intending or attempting to perform abandoned the escape abandoner noun abandon 2 of 2 noun : a thorough yielding to natural impulses especially : enthusiasm, exuberance with reckless abandon Did you know? You may associate this word with the act of leaving and never returning, given the familiarity of the verb abandon. But the noun abandon, with its more pleasant connotations of freedom, is likely here to stay despite being a relative newcomer. It only entered the English language in the early 1800s, as a borrowing from French that goes back to an Old French word meaning “surrender.” (English had borrowed the verb abandon centuries before from the French speakers living in medieval England.) Louisa May Alcott recognized the word's utility; she used it of Jo in Little Women, writing that “when the writing fit came on, she gave herself up to it with entire abandon, and led a blissful life, unconscious of want, care, or bad weather ...” Synonyms Verb deliver give up indulge surrender yield Noun abandonment ease lightheartedness naturalness spontaneity spontaneousness unconstraint uninhibitedness unrestraint See all Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Verb They abandoned the car on a back road. That house was abandoned years ago. The approaching fire forced hundreds of people to abandon their homes. The officer refused to abandon his post. The policy abandons the most vulnerable members of society. She abandoned the party not long after the election. Noun added spices to the stew with complete abandon See More Recent Examples on the Web Verb His performance made his book a best-seller and spurred consumers to abandon the Corvair. —James Ross Gardner, The New Yorker, 3 Feb. 2023 To avoid that scenario, Fed officials may need to abandon old ways of thinking, such as the Phillips Curve, which posits a tradeoff between unemployment and inflation. —Quartz, 3 Feb. 2023 Medical schools, in response to the W.H.I., were quick to abandon menopausal education. —Susan Dominus, New York Times, 1 Feb. 2023 However, urging them to abandon the use of fabrics like silk to truly become a vegan garment. —Zizi Strater, Peoplemag, 1 Feb. 2023 Yet Blinken took the opportunity to encourage Netanyahu to abandon that policy. —Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2023 Analysts point to what happened with North Korea, which had reached a 1994 deal with the U.S. to abandon its nuclear weapons program. —Fox News, 27 Jan. 2023 The popping corks of New Year’s Eve may be a faint memory, but that’s no reason to abandon sparkling wines for another 11 months. —oregonlive, 27 Jan. 2023 Even as the networks were starting to abandon the form, Bajaria kept finding ways to keep TV movies and miniseries relevant. —Vulture, 26 Jan. 2023 Noun Sixty years ago Art Nouveau came to be seen once again as excitingly rebellious by the proponents of a youthful counterculture who emphasized its joyous sensual abandon. —Martin Filler, The New York Review of Books, 1 Dec. 2022 Powerful street gangs had seized control of parts of the country, trafficking drugs, extorting cash from small businesses and killing with such abandon that El Salvador ranked among the most murderous countries in the world. —Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2022 An airline stewardess with a Pennsylvania Central aircraft glows in a classic white uniform with matching hat, showing the slow abandon of the dull colors common in the uniforms of the 1930s. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 13 Oct. 2017 All the while, White earned a reputation for his bruising style and reckless abandon on the football field. —Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2023 Mathurin was dynamite at all three levels, drilling 3-pointers, creating space for pull-up jumpers and, as always, careening down the lane with abandon on drives, finishing through contact and drawing fouls. —Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Jan. 2023 By dancing with abandon down the condiments aisle, Jack and Babette are savoring the simple pleasures of everyday errands, knowing that tomorrow isn't guaranteed. —Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 30 Dec. 2022 Amidst this visual cacophony, the teen somersaults and pirouettes through the air with youthful, fleet-footed abandon, a stirring example of combat as characterization and a striking note of harmony between Ragnarök’s narrative and its gameplay. —Lewis Gordon, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2022 During the Maidan protests, where riot police used batons and eventually bullets with deadly abandon, Ratushnyi and Reva had taken shelter together for one night inside the cathedral grounds, the friend recalled. —John Leicester, ajc, 18 June 2022 See More Word History Etymology Verb Middle English abandounen, borrowed from Anglo-French abanduner, derivative of abandun "surrender, abandonment," from the phrase a bandun "in one's power, at one's disposal," from a "at, to" (going back to Latin ad "to") + bandun "jurisdiction," going back to a Gallo-Romance derivative of Old Low Franconian bann- "summons, command" (with -d-* probably from outcomes of Germanic bandwō "sign") — more at at entry 1, ban entry 1, banner entry 1 Noun borrowed from French, in part derivative of abandonner* "to abandon," in part going back to Old French abandon, abandun "surrender" — more at abandon entry 1 First Known Use Verb 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a Noun 1815, in the meaning defined above Phrases Containing abandon abandon/drop all pretense at with reckless abandon abandon oneself to abandon/drop all pretense at with reckless abandon abandon oneself to Kids Definition abandon 1 of 2 verb aban·don ə-ˈban-dən 1 : to give up completely 2 : to withdraw from often in the face of danger abandon ship 3 : to withdraw protection, support, or help from abandoned the dog 4 : to give oneself up to an emotion abandoner noun abandonment -mənt noun abandon 2 of 2 noun : a complete yielding to natural impulses especially : enthusiasm sense 1, exuberance Legal Definition abandon transitive verb aban·don 1 : to give up with the intent of never again asserting or claiming an interest in (a right or property) 2 : to disassociate oneself from or forsake in spite of a duty or responsibility to abandon one's child 3 : to renounce one's obligations and rights under abandon a contract 4 : to fail purposely to bring to completion or fruition abandon a crime abandon a lawsuit abandoner noun as in traitor Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance traitor traitress leaver turncoat betrayer dropout mutineer insurgent quisling rebel insurrectionist come-outer traitoress turnabout defier double-crosser deserter renegade insurrectionary defector revolter revolutionizer revolutionist red revolutionary apostate discontent recusant recreant refuser refusenik malcontent refusnik Antonyms & Near Antonyms supporter loyalist follower disciple adherent fanatic militant partisan zealot partizan See More
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abandon

verb

noun

Did you know?

Synonyms

Example Sentences

Word History

Phrases Containing abandon

Kids Definition

Legal Definition

noun