# abandon

/əˈbændən/ (US) · /ɐbˈændən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abandon
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to leave behind

verb · CEFR B2

to leave a person, place, or thing forever, especially when you should stay and look after it.

For teachers: to desert or forsake a person, place, or thing, often in breach of a duty or responsibility.

- The sailors had to abandon the sinking ship and get into lifeboats.
- The explorers were forced to abandon their heavy equipment in the snow to ensure they reached the base camp before the storm intensified.

Usage: This verb is transitive and requires a direct object.

### 2. to stop doing something

verb · CEFR B2

to stop doing something before it is finished, often because it is too difficult.

For teachers: to discontinue an activity, project, or belief before completion or fulfillment.

- The company decided to abandon the project because it was losing too much money.
- The government was urged to abandon its controversial new policy after widespread public protests across the capital.

Usage: Often followed by a noun phrase or a gerund.

### 3. freedom of emotion

noun · CEFR C1 · Literary

a feeling of acting in a completely free way without worrying about what happens.

For teachers: a state of complete lack of inhibition or restraint; a yielding to natural impulses.

- The children danced with total abandon in the rain.
- She played the violin with such wild abandon that the audience sat in stunned silence until the final note faded.

Usage: Almost always used in the prepositional phrase 'with abandon'.

## Examples

- The children play outside with wild abandon.
- After their final exam, the students celebrated with reckless abandon, enjoying their newfound freedom.
- The artist painted with a furious abandon, splashing colors onto the canvas in a creative frenzy that ignored all conventional techniques.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.