# give up

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/give-up
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. to stop trying

phrasal verb · CEFR A2

to stop trying to do something because it is too difficult.

For teachers: to admit defeat or cease making an effort; often used intransitively when a person stops a task due to frustration or exhaustion.

- I couldn't solve the puzzle, so I decided to give up after an hour.
- After several failed attempts to repair the engine, the mechanic finally had to give up and suggest a total replacement.

Usage: often used without an object

Teaching tip: Learners often confuse this with 'give in', which specifically means to agree to something you didn't want to do.

### 2. to quit a habit

phrasal verb · CEFR A2

to stop doing something that you do regularly, especially a bad habit.

For teachers: to cease a habitual activity or the consumption of a particular substance.

- My father gave up smoking ten years ago for his health.
- She decided to give up sugar for a month to see if it would improve her energy levels during the day.

Usage: takes a noun or a gerund (-ing form) as an object

### 3. to surrender something

phrasal verb · CEFR B1

to allow someone else to have something that was yours.

For teachers: to relinquish possession or control of something, often under pressure or as a sacrifice.

- He had to give up his seat on the bus to an elderly woman.
- The rebels were forced to give up their weapons as part of the peace agreement signed last week.

Usage: transitive; the object can go between 'give' and 'up' if it is a pronoun

### 4. to lose hope in someone

phrasal verb · CEFR B2

to stop believing that someone will improve or be found.

For teachers: to cease to expect that someone will act in a certain way or that a missing person will be recovered.

- Don't give up on him yet; he just needs a little more time to learn.
- The search party refused to give up on the missing hikers despite the worsening weather conditions.

Usage: usually takes the preposition 'on'

Teaching tip: This sense carries a strong emotional weight, suggesting a final loss of faith or patience.

## Examples

- The game was hard, but I didn't give up.
- He decided to give up smoking for his health and started running instead.
- Despite facing overwhelming odds and dwindling resources, the defenders refused to give up their position.

## Usage notes

- Teaching tip: Contrast the intransitive use ('I give up!') with the transitive use ('He gave up his dream'), noting the verb is separable ('He gave it up').

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