abandoned
- 01 B1 Intermediate
left alone and no longer used or cared for by anyone.
no longer inhabited, maintained, or claimed by owners or residents; forsaken.
Simple“The children found an abandoned house at the end of the street.”
In context“The explorers discovered an abandoned mining town, where rusted machinery and empty saloons stood as silent witnesses to the gold rush.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
acting in a wild way without worrying about what is right or safe.
behaving in a wild or unrestrained manner; showing a complete lack of inhibition.
Simple“They danced with abandoned joy until the sun came up.”
In context“The festival-goers celebrated with abandoned enthusiasm, completely unconcerned with the pouring rain or the late hour.”
Teacher's tipIn modern English, this sense is almost always positive, describing freedom or joy rather than the older 'wicked' meaning.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
describes a place that is no longer being changed by nature, like an old river path.
no longer subject to the active geological or geomorphic forces that originally created the feature.
Simple“The hikers walked along an abandoned river bed that was now full of grass.”
In context“The survey identified several abandoned shorelines situated hundreds of metres above the current lake level due to post-glacial rebound.”
Teacher's tipThis is a highly specific term used by geologists to describe landforms like valleys or coastlines.
Typically used before a noun or after a linking verb like 'be' or 'look'.
From Middle English abandoned, equivalent to abandon + -ed.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.