give up

verb

gave up; given up; giving up; gives up

transitive verb

1

: to yield control or possession of : surrender

forced to give up his job

2

: to desist from : abandon

refused to give up her efforts

3

: to declare incurable or insoluble

4

a

: to abandon (oneself) to a particular feeling, influence, or activity

gave himself up to despair

b

: to devote to a particular purpose or use

5

: to despair of seeing

we'd given you up

6

: to allow (a hit or run in baseball) while pitching

intransitive verb

: to cease doing or attempting something especially as an admission of defeat : quit

—often used with on

don't give up on the project

Phrases

give up the ghost

: to cease to live or function : die

Synonyms

• cede
• cough up
• deliver
• hand over
• lay down
• relinquish
• render
• surrender
• turn in
• turn over
• yield

Examples of give up in a Sentence

was in so much debt he had to give up his house and move into a cheaper apartment

I hope you won't give up playing the piano.

Recent Examples on the Web

The only problem: Stone got hammered repeatedly in his first MLB foray, giving up 17 runs and 23 hits over 10 innings in three starts early last season — including a disastrous two-inning, seven-run start against the Tampa Bay Rays. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024

But this journey is much about Lance finding himself and living up to the enormous potential that caused the 49ers to give up so much to get him. —Clarence E. Hill Jr., Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2024

Will Klein took over for McArthur and gave up four hits, including a double, and two runs before getting out of the frame. —Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 1 June 2024

After Detmers gave up five runs in a 9-0 loss to the Seattle Mariners on Saturday, the Angels optioned the left-hander with a 6.14 ERA to Triple-A Salt Lake. —Jeff Fletcher, Orange County Register, 1 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

give up

verb

1

: surrender entry 1 sense 1

2

: to abandon (oneself) to a feeling, influence, or activity

3

: stop entry 1 sense 7a