/ əˈbændən; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb [ vn ]
1.
abandon sb (to sth) to leave sb, especially sb you are responsible for, with no intention of returning :
The baby had been abandoned by its mother.
The study showed a deep fear among the elderly of being abandoned to the care of strangers.
2.
abandon sth (to sb/sth) to leave a thing or place, especially because it is impossible or dangerous to stay
SYN leave :
Snow forced many drivers to abandon their vehicles.
They had to abandon their lands to the invading forces.
He gave the order to abandon ship (= to leave the ship because it was sinking) .
3.
to stop supporting or helping sb; to stop believing in sth :
The country abandoned its political leaders after the war.
By 1930 he had abandoned his Marxist principles.
4.
to stop doing sth, especially before it is finished; to stop having sth :
They abandoned the match because of rain.
She abandoned hope of any reconciliation.
5.
abandon yourself to sth ( literary ) to feel an emotion so strongly that you can feel nothing else :
He abandoned himself to despair.
■ noun
[ U ] ( formal ) an uncontrolled way of behaving that shows that sb does not care what other people think :
He signed cheques with careless abandon.
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IDIOMS
see gay adjective
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Old French abandoner , from a- (from Latin ad to, at) + bandon control (related to ban ). The original sense was bring under control , later give in to the control of, surrender to (sense 5).