abandon

Plural: abandons

Noun

the trait of lacking restraint or control; reckless freedom from inhibition or worry
- "she danced with abandon"
a feeling of extreme emotional intensity
A yielding to natural impulses or inhibitions; freedom from artificial constraint, with loss of appreciation of consequences. (Now especially in the phrase with abandon.)
Abandonment; relinquishment.

Verb

Verb Forms: abandoned, abandoning, abandons

To desert or give up on completely.
forsake, leave behind
- "We abandoned the old car in the empty parking lot"
give up with the intent of never claiming again
- "Abandon your life to God"
leave behind empty; move out of
stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims
- "He abandoned the thought of asking for her hand in marriage"
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
To give up or relinquish control of, to surrender or to give oneself over, or to yield to one's emotions.
To desist in doing, practicing, following, holding, or adhering to; to turn away from; to permit to lapse; to renounce; to discontinue.
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.
To subdue; to take control of.
To cast out; to banish; to expel; to reject.
To no longer exercise a right, title, or interest, especially with no interest of reclaiming it again; to yield; to relinquish.
To surrender to the insurer (an insured item), so as to claim a total loss.

Examples

He was abandoned on the island with no one to help him.
I hereby abandon my position as manager.
Many baby girls have been abandoned on the streets of Beijing.
Never abandon a rack with great potential, even for a tempting quick score.
She abandoned her husband for a new man.
with gay abandon, with wild abandon

Origin / Etymology

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.

Synonyms

desert, desolate, empty, forsake, give up, unconstraint, vacate, wantonness, wildness, abandon, abandonment, abdicate, abjure, beleave, blin, bug out, cast aside, cease, cede, deliver up, depart from, desist from, discontinue, dispense with, drop, forgo, forlet, forswear, jilt, leave behind, libertinism, part with, profligacy, quit, recant, relinquish, renounce, repudiate, resign, retire, retract, run out on, surrender, unrestraint, waive, withdraw from, withsake, yield

Antonyms

acquire, adopt, advocate, arrogate, cherish, claim, defend, embrace, engage, gain, hold, hold the fort, join, keep, maintain, occupy, protect, retain, stand one's ground, undertake, unite, uphold, vindicate

Scrabble Score: 10

abandon: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
abandon: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
abandon: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

abandon: valid Words With Friends Word