abandon
To leave someone or something behind and never go back.
abandon in a sentence
- The sailors had to abandon the sinking ship and row for the shore.
- When the volcano began to rumble, the villagers had to abandon their homes and never return.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to abandon?
- Asupport
- Bretain
- Cleave
- Dkeep
Show the answer
C: leave. The other three mean the opposite of abandon.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to abandon?
- Adesert
- Bkeep
- Cleave
- Dquit
Show the answer
B: keep. The other three mean nearly the same as abandon.
Words that mean something similar
leave, desert, quit
Words that mean the opposite
keep, retain, support
More words about movement & action
- accomplish: To finish something successfully after working at it.
- acquire: To get something and make it your own.
- agile: Able to move quickly and easily.
- aimless: Having no plan or purpose.
- amble: To walk in a slow, relaxed way.
- arduous: Very difficult and tiring, needing lots of effort.
- ascend: To climb or move upwards.
- assemble: To put pieces together, or to gather in one place.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test