Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

abandon

/əˈbæn.dən/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.02 in modern English

Syllables
aban-don
IPA
/əˈbæn.dən/
10
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
3
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To give up or relinquish control of, to surrender or to give oneself over, or to yield to one's emotions.

Transitive verb

verb

To desist in doing, practicing, following, holding, or adhering to; to turn away from; to permit to lapse; to renounce; to discontinue.

Transitive verb

verb

To leave behind; to desert, as in a ship, a position, or a person, typically in response to overwhelming odds or impending dangers; to forsake, in spite of a duty or responsibility.

Transitive verb

verb

To subdue; to take control of.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To cast out; to banish; to expel; to reject.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To no longer exercise a right, title, or interest, especially with no interest of reclaiming it again; to yield; to relinquish.

Transitive verb

verb

To surrender to the insurer (an insured item), so as to claim a total loss.

Transitive verb

noun

A yielding to natural impulses or inhibitions; freedom from artificial constraint, with loss of appreciation of consequences. (Now especially in the phrase with abandon.)

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Latin ad Old French a Proto-Germanic *bannanąder. Frankish *bannder. Old French ban Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *dóh₃r̥ ~ *déh₃n̥s Proto-Indo-European *-om Proto-Indo-European *déh₃nom Proto-Italic *dōnom Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Proto-Italic *dōnāō? Latin donāre Old French doner Old French a ban doner Old French abandonerder. Middle English abandounen English abandon From Middle English abandounen, from Old French abandoner, formed from a (“at, to”) + bandon (“jurisdiction, control”), from Late Latin bannum (“proclamation”), bannus, bandum, from Frankish *ban, *bann, from Proto-Germanic *bannaną (“to proclaim, command”) (whence English ban), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to speak”). See also ban, banal. Displaced Middle English forleten (“to abandon”), from Old English forlǣtan, anforlǣtan; see forlet; and Middle English forleven (“to leave behind, abandon”), from Old English forlǣfan; see forleave. Compare typologically abdicate, Russian отказа́ться (otkazátʹsja) (akin to приказа́ть (prikazátʹ), сказа́ть (skazátʹ), указа́ть (ukazátʹ)).

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /əˈbæn.dən/
  • British English: /əˈbæn.dən/

Usage

Inflected Forms

abandons (present, singular) abandoning (participle, present) abandoned (participle, past) abandoned (past) no-table-tags (table tags) glossary (inflection template) abandoned (first person, past) abandonest (archaic, present) abandoned (past, second person) abandonedst (archaic, past) abandoneth (archaic, present) abandoned (past, singular)

Derived Forms

aband abandonability abandonable abandoned abandonee abandoner abandonment abandonware reabandon unabandon abandonly abandonness

Phrases

abandon hope, all ye who enter here abandon ship all hope abandon ye who enter here

Frequently Paired Words

flee

Synonyms

wantonness unrestraint libertinism abandonment profligacy unconstraint abdicate abjure blin cast aside cease cede

Antonyms

acquire adopt advocate arrogate cherish claim defend embrace engage gain hold join

Rhymes With

brandon ugandan landon branden tandon landen standen escandon glandon

Questions

How do you pronounce abandon?
The recorded pronunciation is /əˈbæn.dən/.
What does abandon mean?
To give up or relinquish control of, to surrender or to give oneself over, or to yield to one's emotions.
Where does abandon come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce abandon

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “abandon”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/əˈbæn.dən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “abandon”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “abandon” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.