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Meaning & use

giving up

phrase·Everyday

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UK/ˌɡɪvɪŋ ˈʌp/
US/ˌɡɪvɪŋ ˈʌp/

Meanings

  1. phrasephrasal verb

    Stopping your attempt to do something because you feel it is too hard or has no chance of working.

    Grammar: Comes from the verb give up, used as a gerund or after be: giving up is not an option.

    Patterns

    • giving up on something
    • be giving up

    Giving up now would waste all the work we have done.

    I am not giving up on my dream of becoming a doctor.

    She felt like giving up when the hill got steeper, but she kept walking.

  2. phrasephrasal verb

    Stopping a habit or activity for good, often for health or other reasons.

    Grammar: Followed by a noun or an -ing form: giving up sugar, giving up smoking.

    Patterns

    • giving up something
    • giving up doing something

    Giving up caffeine was harder than he expected.

    She is giving up her weekend job to study full time.

    My uncle is giving up smoking after thirty years.

  3. phrasephrasal verb

    Handing something over or letting go of a right, a position or a possession.

    Grammar: Takes an object: giving up a seat, giving up control.

    Patterns

    • giving up something to someone
    • giving up something for something

    The young man was giving up his seat to an older passenger.

    The company is giving up control to a new board.

    They are giving up the lease on the office.

Common combinations

giving up on
Don't think about giving up on your goals.
giving up smoking
He is giving up smoking at the new year.
giving up hope
The rescuers were not giving up hope.
giving up control
Giving up control is hard for managers.
giving up the fight
The team was not giving up the fight.

Synonyms and how they differ

quitting
Quitting is more casual and works for stopping a job or a habit, but giving up stresses defeat or surrender.
surrendering
Surrendering suggests yielding to an opponent, whereas giving up can be a private decision.
abandoning
Abandoning suggests leaving something behind, often with a sense of neglect.

Opposites

perseveringpersisting

Word family

give up verb
to stop trying or to stop doing something
quitter noun
someone who gives up too easily

Commonly confused: giving up or giving in?

giving up vs giving in

Giving in means accepting someone else's demand or wishes, while giving up means stopping an effort or habit.

Practice

Which phrase completes the sentence: After years of trying, she was not ____ on her dream.

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