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   abandon

   /əˈband(ə)n/

   verb

   • 1. cease to support or look after (someone); desert: "her natural mother had abandoned her at an early age" Similar desertleaveleave high and dryturn one's back oncast asidebreak (up) withjiltstrandleave strandedleave in the lurchthrow overinformal:run/walk out ondumpditchgive someone the pushgive someone the big Ebin offarchaic:forsakeOpposite stick by
   • ▪ leave (a place or vehicle) empty or uninhabited, without intending to return: "derelict houses were abandoned" Similar vacateleavequitevacuatewithdraw from
   • ▪ condemn someone or something to (a specified fate) by ceasing to take an interest in them: "an attempt to persuade businesses not to abandon the area to inner-city deprivation" Similar relinquishsurrendergive upcedeyieldleave
   • 2. give up completely (a practice or a course of action): "he had clearly abandoned all pretence of trying to succeed" Similar renouncerelinquishdispense withforsweardisclaimdisowndisavowdiscardwash one's hands ofgive updropdo away withjettisoninformal:ditchscrapscrubaxejunkgive upstopceasedropforgodesist fromhave done withabjureabstain fromdiscontinuebreak offrefrain fromset/lay asideinformal:cut outkickjack inpack inquitOpposite keepclaimcontinuetake up
   • ▪ discontinue (a scheduled event) before completion: "fans invaded the pitch and the match was abandoned"
   • 3. allow oneself to indulge in (a desire or impulse): "they abandoned themselves to despair" Similar indulge ingive way togive oneself up toyield tolose oneself to/inOpposite control oneself

   noun

   • 1. complete lack of inhibition or restraint: "she sings and sways with total abandon"

   Word Origin late Middle English: from Old French abandoner, from a- (from Latin ad ‘to, at’) + bandon ‘control’ (related to ban1). The original sense was ‘bring under control’, later ‘give in to the control of, surrender to’ (abandon (sense 3 of the verb)).

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • A

     1

   • B

     3

   • A

     1

   • N

     1

   • D

     2

   • O

     1

   • N

     1

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