abandon

noun

A yielding to natural impulses or inhibitions; freedom from artificial constraint, with loss of appreciation of consequences. (Now especially in the phrase with abandon.)

(obsolete) Abandonment; relinquishment.

verb

(transitive) To give up or relinquish control of, to surrender or to give oneself over, or to yield to one's emotions.

(transitive) To leave behind; to desert, as in a ship, a position, or a person, typically in response to overwhelming odds or impending dangers; to forsake, in spite of a duty or responsibility.

(transitive) To desist in doing, practicing, following, holding, or adhering to; to turn away from; to permit to lapse; to renounce; to discontinue.

(transitive) To no longer exercise a right, title, or interest, especially with no interest of reclaiming it again; to yield; to relinquish.

(transitive) To surrender to the insurer (an insured item), so as to claim a total loss.

(transitive, obsolete) To subdue; to take control of.

(transitive, obsolete) To cast out; to banish; to expel; to reject.

Roots

bannumban- · Frankish · proclamation, ban

Synonyms for abandon

forsakev relinquishv renouncev forgov abandonmentn jettisonv quitv jiltn forswearv discardv abjurev withdrawv vacatev rejectv cedev resignv discontinuev leavev repudiatev surrendern renegev

Words related to abandon

forsook abandonedlyadv renouncerv renounceableadj abnegatev forsworev foregov disownv abdicatev demit renouncementn forsakenv forwentadj relinquishmentn renunciatoryadj ditchedv forewentadj withdrewv disavowv

Synonyms & related words for abandon

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of abandon — including forsake, relinquish, renounce, forgo, abandonment, jettison. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to abandon

Explore words related to abandon — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include forsook, abandonedly, renouncer, renounceable, abnegate, forswore, forego, disown. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for abandon

Common synonyms for abandon include forsake, relinquish, renounce, forgo, abandonment, jettison, quit, jilt — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does abandon come from?

The word abandon breaks down into one root of Frankish origin: the root ban-, from Frankish bannum (“proclamation, ban”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.