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A·ban·don

/əˈbandən/

verb
- 1. cease to support or look after (someone); desert: "her natural mother had abandoned her at an early age" Similar desertleaveleave high and dryturn one's back oncast asidebreak (up) withjiltstrandleave strandedleave in the lurchthrow overinformal:run/walk out ondumpditchgive someone the pushgive someone the big Ebin offarchaic:forsakeOpposite stick by
- ▪ leave (a place or vehicle) empty or uninhabited, without intending to return: "derelict houses were abandoned" Similar vacateleavequitevacuatewithdraw from
- ▪ condemn someone or something to (a specified fate) by ceasing to take an interest in them: "an attempt to persuade businesses not to abandon the area to inner-city deprivation" Similar relinquishsurrendergive upcedeyieldleave
- 2. give up completely (a course of action, a practice, or a way of thinking): "he had clearly abandoned all pretense of trying to succeed" Similar renouncerelinquishdispense withforsweardisclaimdisowndisavowdiscardwash one's hands ofgive updropdo away withjettisoninformal:ditchscrapscrubaxejunkgive upstopceasedropforgodesist fromhave done withabjureabstain fromdiscontinuebreak offrefrain fromset/lay asideinformal:cut outkickjack inpack inquitOpposite keepclaimcontinuetake up
- ▪ discontinue (a scheduled event) before completion: "against the background of perceived threats, the tour was abandoned"
- 3. allow oneself to indulge in (a desire or impulse): "they abandoned themselves to despair" Similar indulge ingive way togive oneself up toyield tolose oneself to/inOpposite control oneself
noun
- 1. complete lack of inhibition or restraint: "she sings and sways with total abandon"
Word Origin late Middle English: from Old French abandoner, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + bandon ‘control’ (related to ban1). The original sense was ‘bring under control’, later ‘give in to the control of, surrender to’ (abandon (sense 3 of the verb)).
Scrabble Points: 10
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What does abandon mean?
: to give up completely : to give oneself up to an emotion : to give up with the intent of never again asserting or claiming an interest in (a right or property) Nglish: Translation of abandon for Spanish Speakers Britannica English: Translation of abandon for Arabic Speakers Love words? Need even more definitions?

Abandon Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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What does 'acting with abandon' mean?
To abandon something is to give it up completely. If you’re in a cabin and a forest fire approaches, you’d better get in your car and abandon your cabin, or else be prepared to abandon your life. If you abandon something, you let it go, so when you describe someone as "acting with abandon ," it means they have let go of restrictions or inhibitions.

Abandon - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

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What does it mean if you abandon a place?
If you abandon a place, thing, or person, you leave the place, thing, or person permanently or for a long time, especially when you should not do so. He claimed that his parents had abandoned him. [VERB noun] The road is strewn with abandoned vehicles. [VERB-ed] If you abandon an activity or piece of work, you stop doing it before it is finished .

ABANDON definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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What is the difference between abandon and relinquish?
Abandon means to give up or discontinue any further interest in something because of discouragement, weariness, distaste, or the like: to abandon one's efforts. Relinquish implies being or feeling compelled to give up something one would prefer to keep: to relinquish a long-cherished desire.

ABANDON Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › abandonAbandon Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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Learn the meaning, synonyms, examples, and history of the verb and noun abandon, which means to give up, withdraw, or surrender. Find out how to use abandon in a sentence and how it differs from related words like desert and forsake.
dictionary.cambridge.org › english › abandonABANDON | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

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Learn the meaning of abandon as a verb and a noun, with synonyms, antonyms, and usage examples. Find out how to pronounce abandon and translate it in different languages.
www.dictionary.com › browse › abandonABANDON Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

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Abandon means to give up or discontinue any further interest in something because of discouragement, weariness, distaste, or the like: to abandon one's efforts. Relinquish implies being or feeling compelled to give up something one would prefer to keep: to relinquish a long-cherished desire.
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www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › abandonAbandon - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › abandon
Definitions of abandon. verb. forsake; leave behind. “We abandoned the old car in the empty parking lot” see more. verb. give up with the intent of never claiming again. “ Abandon your life to God” synonyms: give up. see more. verb. leave behind empty; move out of. synonyms: empty, vacate. see more. verb.
www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishABANDON definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

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3 days ago · Learn the meaning of abandon as a verb and a noun, with synonyms and usage examples. Find out how to pronounce abandon and its related words, and explore its origin and frequency.
www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definitionabandon verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

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Learn the meaning, pronunciation and examples of the verb abandon, which means to leave somebody or something with no intention of returning, or to stop doing or believing something. See also synonyms, collocations and word origin.
en.wiktionary.org › wiki › abandonabandon - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

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May 6, 2024 · Abandon means to give up or relinquish control of something or someone, or to leave behind or desert. It comes from Old French abandoner, from Late Latin bannum, from Frankish *ban, *bann.