Abandon - Oxford Learner's Dictionaries

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Definition of abandon verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

abandon verb   /əˈbændən/  /əˈbændən/Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they abandon	/əˈbændən/  /əˈbændən/
he / she / it abandons	/əˈbændənz/  /əˈbændənz/
past simple abandoned	/əˈbændənd/  /əˈbændənd/
past participle abandoned	/əˈbændənd/  /əˈbændənd/
-ing form abandoning	/əˈbændənɪŋ/  /əˈbændənɪŋ/

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1.   to leave somebody, especially somebody you are responsible for, with no intention of returning
   • abandon somebody The baby had been abandoned by its mother.
   • People often simply abandon their pets when they go abroad.
   • abandon somebody to something ‘We have been abandoned to our fate,’ said one resident.
   • The study showed a deep fear among the elderly of being abandoned to the care of strangers.
   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
   • hastily
   phrases
   • abandon somebody to their fate
   • be left abandoned
   • be found abandoned
   • …
   See full entry
2.   to leave a thing or place, especially because it is impossible or dangerous to stay synonym leave
   • abandon something Snow forced many drivers to abandon their vehicles.
   • He gave the order to abandon ship (= to leave the ship because it was sinking).
   • abandon something to somebody/something They had to abandon their lands to the invading forces.
   Extra Examples
   • Much of the land has now been abandoned in favour of more fertile areas to the south.
   • The town had been hastily abandoned.
   Topics Difficulty and failureb2Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
   • hastily
   phrases
   • abandon somebody to their fate
   • be left abandoned
   • be found abandoned
   • …
   See full entry
3.   abandon something to stop doing something, especially before it is finished; to stop having something
   • They abandoned the match because of rain.
   • The plans for reform were quietly abandoned.
   • She abandoned hope of any reconciliation.
   • We had to abandon any further attempt at negotiation.
   Extra Examples
   • She abandoned her teaching career in favour of sport.
   • The government does not propose to abandon the project altogether.
   • Traditional policies were simply abandoned.
   • They were forced to abandon the game because of rain.
   • Work on the new building was finally abandoned.
   • He abandoned the army for politics.
   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
   • altogether
   • completely
   • entirely
   • …
   verb + abandon
   • be forced to
   • have to
   • decide to
   • …
   preposition
   • for
   • in favour/​favor of
   See full entry
4. to stop supporting or helping somebody; to stop believing in something
   • abandon somebody The country abandoned its political leaders after the war.
   • abandon something Critics accused him of abandoning his principles.
   • This principle has now been effectively abandoned.
   Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb
   • altogether
   • completely
   • entirely
   • …
   verb + abandon
   • be forced to
   • have to
   • decide to
   • …
   preposition
   • for
   • in favour/​favor of
   See full entry
5. abandon yourself to something (literary) to feel an emotion so strongly that you can feel nothing else
   • He abandoned himself to despair.
Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French abandoner, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + bandon ‘control’ (related to ban). The original sense was ‘bring under control’, later ‘give in to the control of, surrender to’ (sense (5)).

See abandon in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee abandon in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishCheck pronunciation: abandon

Other results

All matches

• abandon noun
• with gay abandon

Idioms

• with gay abandon

Nearby words

• abaft adverb
• abalone noun
• abandon verb
• abandon noun
• abandoned adjective

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