Meaning & use
abandon
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To leave a person, place, or thing permanently, often without care or intending to return.
Grammar: Takes an object naming what is left: abandon the house; it often adds a sense of neglect or finality.
Patterns
- abandon someone
- abandon a place
- abandon a vehicle
The family had to abandon the flooded house during the night.
Someone abandoned a bicycle outside the station.
Do not abandon pets when you move; find them a safe home.
verbtransitive
To stop doing, trying, or supporting something before it is completed.
Grammar: The object is usually an activity, plan, search, hope, or belief: abandon the search; it does not mean merely pause.
Patterns
- abandon the plan
- abandon the search
- abandon hope
We abandoned the picnic when the storm began.
Rescue teams abandoned the search until daylight.
After two failures, she refused to abandon hope.
noununcountable
A complete lack of inhibition or self-control in behavior.
Grammar: Almost always used after “with” or “in”: with abandon; it has no plural.
Patterns
- with abandon
- dance with abandon
- speak with abandon
The children danced with abandon at the festival.
He apologized for speaking with abandon at the meeting.
She spent the afternoon painting with abandon.
Word forms
| third person singular | abandons |
|---|---|
| past tense | abandoned |
| past participle | abandoned |
| -ing form | abandoning |
Common combinations
- abandon ship
- The captain ordered everyone to abandon ship.
- abandon the search
- Police abandoned the search after nightfall.
- abandon hope
- Even late in the match, the fans did not abandon hope.
- abandoned building
- The abandoned building was fenced off for safety.
- with reckless abandon
- He crossed the busy road with reckless abandon.
Synonyms and how they differ
- desert
- Emphasizes leaving duty, a post, or a person who needs you; “abandon” is broader.
- leave
- Neutral and general; it does not always imply permanence or neglect.
- forsake
- Literary and strong: to turn away from a person, belief, or way of life.
- give up
- Fits plans or attempts; “abandon” is more formal and often more final.
Opposites
Word family
- abandoned adjective
- Left empty, unused, or no longer cared for.
- abandonment noun
- The act of leaving or giving up someone or something.
Commonly confused: abandon or abolish?
abandon vs abolish
“Abandon” means leave or stop something unfinished; “abolish” means officially end a law, system, or institution.
Practice
After the collision, the captain ordered the crew to ___ ship.
Choose one answer.
“Abandon ship” is the fixed emergency phrase; the other verbs can take “ship” but do not fit a danger context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “abandon”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.