to leave completely and finally; forsake utterly; desert

to abandon one's farm; to abandon a child; to abandon a sinking ship.

to give up; discontinue; withdraw from

to abandon a research project; to abandon hopes for a stage career.

to give up the control of

to abandon a city to an enemy army.

to yield (oneself) without restraint or moderation; give (oneself) over to natural impulses, usually without self-control

to abandon oneself to grief.

Law . to cast away, leave, or desert, as property or a child.

Insurance . to relinquish (insured property) to the underwriter in case of partial loss, thus enabling the insured to claim a total loss.

Obsolete . to banish.

noun

restraint , self-restraint

verb

cherish , defend , keep , pursue , retain , support , adopt , assert , favor , uphold

noun

disregard , freedom , impulse , licentiousness , recklessness , spontaneity , thoughtlessness , uninhibitedness , unrestraint , wantonness , wildness , abandonment , incontinence , carelessness , heedlessness , abdication , abjuration , apostasy , defection , recantation , relinquishment , renunciation , waiver

verb

abdicate , back out , bail out * , bow out * , chicken out * , cop out * , cut loose * , desert , discard , discontinue , ditch * , drop , drop out , duck * , dump * , dust * , flake out , fly the coop , give up the ship , kiss goodbye , leave , leg it , let go , opt out , pull out , quit , run out on , screw * , ship out , stop , storm out , surrender , take a powder , take a walk , throw over * , vacate , walk out on , wash hands of , withdraw , yield , disown , forsake , jilt , leave behind , reject , renounce , throw over , cede , demit , forswear , hand over , quitclaim , relinquish , render , resign , waive , forgo , lay down , break off , desist , give up , leave off , remit , give over , abjure , abscond , apostatize , chuck , defect , depart , ditch , flee , freedom , give-up , jettison , junk , leave in the lurch , liberty , license , maroon , neglect , rashness , recant , repudiate , scrap , scuttle , surcease , turpitude