# abandoned

/əˈbændənd/ (US) · /ɐbˈændənd/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/abandoned
Updated: 2026-05-02

## Senses

### 1. left behind

adjective · CEFR B1

left alone and no longer used or cared for by anyone.

For teachers: no longer inhabited, maintained, or claimed by owners or residents; forsaken.

- The children found an abandoned house at the end of the street.
- The explorers discovered an abandoned mining town, where rusted machinery and empty saloons stood as silent witnesses to the gold rush.

### 2. without control

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

acting in a wild way without worrying about what is right or safe.

For teachers: behaving in a wild or unrestrained manner; showing a complete lack of inhibition.

- They danced with abandoned joy until the sun came up.
- The festival-goers celebrated with abandoned enthusiasm, completely unconcerned with the pouring rain or the late hour.

Teaching tip: In modern English, this sense is almost always positive, describing freedom or joy rather than the older 'wicked' meaning.

### 3. geological features

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

describes a place that is no longer being changed by nature, like an old river path.

For teachers: no longer subject to the active geological or geomorphic forces that originally created the feature.

- The hikers walked along an abandoned river bed that was now full of grass.
- The survey identified several abandoned shorelines situated hundreds of metres above the current lake level due to post-glacial rebound.

Teaching tip: This is a highly specific term used by geologists to describe landforms like valleys or coastlines.

## Examples

- The children found an abandoned house at the end of the street.
- The local government is trying to find a new use for the abandoned factory on the edge of town.
- Walking through the abandoned mining town, one can still see rusted tools and empty cabins that have been reclaimed by the surrounding forest over the last century.

## Usage notes

- Typically used before a noun or after a linking verb like 'be' or 'look'.

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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.