English Reference
verb · noun

abandons

v. · n.
US /əˈbændənz/ UK /ɐbˈændənz/ aban·dons

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate

    v.to leave a person, place, or thing forever.

    v.to desert or leave behind a person, place, or thing with no intention of returning. Transitive; requires a direct object.

    Simple

    The captain abandons the sinking ship only after every passenger is safe.

    In context

    The developer often abandons ambitious projects halfway through when the initial funding begins to dry up unexpectedly.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate

    v.to stop doing something before it is finished.

    v.to cease a course of action or an activity permanently.

    Simple

    The team abandons the search for the lost keys when it gets dark.

    In context

    The government usually abandons unpopular policies just before an election to avoid losing the support of moderate voters.

  3. 03 C1 Advanced Literary

    n.a feeling of being completely free and not caring what others think.

    n.a state of acting without restraint or regard for convention. Usually used in the singular, but the plural can appear in literary contexts to describe multiple instances of such behavior.

    Simple

    The festival was full of wild dances and joyful abandons.

    In context

    The poet described the various abandons of the youth, who lived for the moment without a thought for the future.

    wildnessfreedomunrestraint
This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated