/əˈbændən/ verb
1. to leave someone or something completely
NOUNS:
abandon a car/ship
The thieves abandoned the car when it ran out of fuel.
The captain gave the order to abandon ship.
abandon a building
We had to abandon the building when the roof began to collapse.
abandon a child/family
The child was found abandoned outside a hospital.
He abandoned his family and went to live with another woman.
ADVERBS:
quickly/hastily abandon sb/sth
They had to hastily abandon the ship when it started sinking.
largely/virtually abandon sb/sth (=almost completely)
Her family had largely abandoned her, and she only saw her son occasionally.
temporarily abandon sb/sth (=for a short time)
Residents were forced to temporarily abandon their homes due to a flood warning.
VERBS:
be forced to abandon sth
Guests were forced to abandon the hotel because of the fire.
have to abandon sth
The soldiers had to abandon the tanks which had become bogged down in the mud.
PHRASES:
abandon sb to their fate (=leave someone in a bad situation with no one to help them)
The wounded soldier had been abandoned to his fate.
2. to decide not to do something because you are unlikely to succeed
NOUNS:
abandon an attempt/effort
Poor weather forced them to abandon their attempt to climb the mountain.
abandon a search
When night fell, the police decided to abandon their search for the missing boy.
abandon a plan/policy
Because of the rain, we abandoned our plan to go for a walk.
The government was forced to abandon its economic policies.
abandon a project
The research project had to be abandoned due to a lack of funds.
abandon an idea
Helen abandoned the idea of becoming a doctor, and studied law instead.
abandon a decision
He showed no sign of abandoning his decision to earn a living as a writer.
abandon your principles
The party was accused of abandoning its principles in order to win votes.
abandon hope
She never abandoned hope of seeing him again.
ADVERBS:
abandon sth altogether/completely/totally
They abandoned their plans to start up a business altogether.
largely/virtually abandon sth (=almost completely)
She appeared in a few films in the 1990s, but has largely abandoned her acting career.
finally/eventually abandon sth
The police finally abandoned their hunt for the man when all sign of him had disappeared.
never abandon sth
He never abandoned his ambition to rule the country.
temporarily abandon sth (=for a short time)
The rescue attempt was temporarily abandoned until the weather improved.
VERBS:
be forced to abandon sth
Severe storms forced them to abandon the expedition.
have to abandon sth
He had to abandon the idea of travelling to Italy on account of his ill health.
PHRASES:
abandon sth in favour of sth else (=use something else instead)
The original plan was abandoned in favour of a cheaper one.
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