ABANDON

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does abandon mean? 

• ABANDON (noun)
  The noun ABANDON has 2 senses:

1. the trait of lacking restraint or control; reckless freedom from inhibition or worry

2. a feeling of extreme emotional intensity

  Familiarity information: ABANDON used as a noun is rare.

• ABANDON (verb)
  The verb ABANDON has 5 senses:

1. forsake, leave behind

2. give up with the intent of never claiming again

3. leave behind empty; move out of

4. stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims

5. leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

  Familiarity information: ABANDON used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ABANDON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The trait of lacking restraint or control; reckless freedom from inhibition or worry

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

abandon; unconstraint; wantonness

Context example:

she danced with abandon

Hypernyms ("abandon" is a kind of...):

unrestraint (the quality of lacking restraint)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A feeling of extreme emotional intensity

Classified under:

Nouns denoting feelings and emotions

Synonyms:

abandon; wildness

Context example:

the wildness of his anger

Hypernyms ("abandon" is a kind of...):

passion; passionateness (a strong feeling or emotion)

• ABANDON (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they abandon    ... he / she / it abandons   
Past simple: abandoned   
Past participle: abandoned   
-ing form: abandoning   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Forsake, leave behind

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Context example:

We abandoned the old car in the empty parking lot

Hypernyms (to "abandon" is one way to...):

cast aside; cast away; cast out; chuck out; discard; dispose; fling; put away; throw away; throw out; toss; toss away; toss out (throw or cast away)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "abandon"):

chuck; ditch (throw away)

dispense with (forgo or do or go without)

forego; forfeit; forgo; give up; throw overboard; waive (lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crime)

consign (commit forever; commit irrevocably)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

abandonment (the voluntary surrender of property (or a right to property) without attempting to reclaim it or give it away)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Give up with the intent of never claiming again

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

abandon; give up

Context example:

We gave the drowning victim up for dead

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "abandon"):

foreswear; quit; relinquish; renounce (turn away from; give up)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

abandonment (the act of giving something up)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Leave behind empty; move out of

Classified under:

Verbs of walking, flying, swimming

Synonyms:

abandon; empty; vacate

Context example:

You must vacate your office by tonight

Hypernyms (to "abandon" is one way to...):

go away; go forth; leave (go away from a place)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

abandon; give up

Context example:

Both sides have to give up some claims in these negotiations

Verb group:

ease up; give; give way; move over; yield (move in order to make room for someone for something)

break; cave in; collapse; fall in; founder; give; give way (break down, literally or metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "abandon"):

sell out (abandon one's principles for expedience or financial gain)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

abandonment (the act of giving something up)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

abandon; desert; desolate; forsake

Context example:

The mother deserted her children

Hypernyms (to "abandon" is one way to...):

leave (go and leave behind, either intentionally or by neglect or forgetfulness)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "abandon"):

expose (abandon by leaving out in the open air)

walk out (leave suddenly, often as an expression of disapproval)

ditch (forsake)

maroon; strand (leave stranded or isolated with little hope of rescue)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Derivation:

abandonment (withdrawing support or help despite allegiance or responsibility)

 Context examples 

Only Louis refrained, no more than cautiously wetting his lips with the liquor, though he joined in the revels with an abandon equal to that of most of them.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Then she tore her hair and beat her breast, and abandoned herself to all the violences of extravagant emotion.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

The prisoner turned with the reckless air of a man who abandons himself to his destiny.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It is all based on natural forest regrowth and only requires persistence and protection of the young forests and abandoned agricultural fields.

(Natural regeneration of tropical forests helps global climate mitigation and forest restoration, NSF)

The luxuries of the old country, said Mr. Micawber, with an intense satisfaction in their renouncement, we abandon.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The despair you feel when you have abandoned hope of comfort or success.

(Hopelessness, NCI Thesaurus)

The effects of the Eldgjá eruption must have been devastating for the young colony on Iceland – very likely, land was abandoned and famine severe.

(Volcanic eruption influenced Iceland’s conversion to Christianity, University of Cambridge)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient believe that family members plan to abandon him/her?

(NPI - Family Members Plan to Abandon Him/Her, NCI Thesaurus)

And 91 years after abandonment, abandoned fields had 73% of the plant diversity and 53% of the plant productivity.

(Plant biodiversity struggles to return in wake of agricultural abandonment, National Science Foundation)

She even considered it the hopeful side of the situation, believing that sooner or later it would arouse him and compel him to abandon his writing.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)