Abandon
Empty theaters, doubled costs, and sinking ships all force the same decision this verb names: walking away for good instead of pausing.
Learn This WordMeaning
To give up completely.
Memory trick
A-BANDON: the band marches on and leaves you behind completely.
Examples
They abandoned the old plan.
The theater abandoned its morning shows after three empty houses in a row.
She refused to abandon the complaint even after the refund arrived.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Old French abandoner "to surrender, give up," from a bandon "under one’s control." To abandon is to release control entirely.
Usage Notes
CUET synonym/antonym staple: abandon pairs with relinquish and opposes retain. Stronger than quit: it means walking away for good.
Real-life contexts
Use firmly: "We abandoned the plan after the costs doubled."
Use in stories: "The crew had to abandon ship."
Use in study: "Never abandon a question without one last try."
Common Mistakes
Abandon means total surrender; do not use it for temporary pauses. "Abandoned" as an adjective (abandoned building) means deserted.
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Part of Speech
verb
Difficulty
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