Definition

1. Noun:

   • A feeling of extreme emotional intensity; wildness: "abandon" can refer to a state of complete surrender to emotion, often with a lack of restraint or inhibition.
   • The trait of lacking restraint or control; reckless freedom from worry: It describes a carefree, uninhibited manner of behaving.

2. Verb:

   • To leave completely and finally; forsake: "abandon" means to leave a person, place, or thing, typically without intending to return or provide further support.
   • To give up control of; surrender: It means to yield something completely, such as a claim, an idea, or a possession.
   • To cease to support or look after; desert: It implies withdrawing one's presence, help, or maintenance from someone or something that depends on it.
   • To stop maintaining or insisting on: It refers to discontinuing an activity, thought, or demand.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • She danced with wild abandon. (She danced with complete lack of inhibition.)
  • He expressed his anger with abandon. (He expressed his anger with extreme emotional intensity and no restraint.)

• Verb:

  • The captain gave the order to abandon the sinking ship. (The captain ordered everyone to leave the sinking ship permanently.)
  • He had to abandon his car on the side of the road. (He had to leave his car behind on the side of the road.)
  • We must abandon the outdated plan. (We must give up and stop using the outdated plan.)
  • She would never abandon her principles. (She would never give up or desert her principles.)

Advanced Usage

• "to abandon oneself to": to yield completely to a feeling, impulse, or influence.
  • He abandoned himself to despair. (He surrendered completely to feelings of despair.)
  • They abandoned themselves to the joy of the moment. (They yielded completely to the joy they were feeling.)

Variants and Related Words

• Abandoned (adj): having been deserted or left; unrestrained, uninhibited.
  • An abandoned building. (A building that has been left empty and uncared for.)
  • Abandoned laughter. (Uninhibited, carefree laughter.)
• Abandonment (n): the action or fact of abandoning or being abandoned.
  • The abandonment of the project was disappointing. (The act of giving up on the project was disappointing.)

Synonyms

• Verb: Leave, desert, forsake, relinquish, surrender, give up, vacate, quit.
• Noun: Uninhibitedness, recklessness, wildness, wantonness.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Note: "Abandon" is not commonly used with particles to form standard phrasal verbs. The core verb carries the meaning.)

Related Idioms

• With gay abandon: With complete lack of concern or inhibition. ("Gay" here uses an older meaning of "carefree").
  • They spent their inheritance with gay abandon. (They spent their inheritance in a completely carefree and unrestrained way.)

Noun

1. a feeling of extreme emotional intensity
   • the wildness of his anger
2. the trait of lacking restraint or control; reckless freedom from inhibition or worry
   • she danced with abandon

Verb

1. leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
   • The mother deserted her children
2. stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims
   • He abandoned the thought of asking for her hand in marriage
   • Both sides have to give up some claims in these negotiations
3. leave behind empty; move out of
   • You must vacate your office by tonight
4. give up with the intent of never claiming again
   • Abandon your life to God
   • She gave up her children to her ex-husband when she moved to Tahiti
   • We gave the drowning victim up for dead
5. forsake, leave behind
   • We abandoned the old car in the empty parking lot