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

see also:

give up the ghost

Synonyms of give up

• relinquish
• surrender
• deliver
• render
• turn in

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

Young people give up on the American Dream Gen Z graduates have borne the brunt of these economic fears, saddled with record college debt and facing a historically difficult entry-level job market. — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

Knowing where to rely on AI—and where to pause for human judgment—can help consumers make the most of these tools without giving up control of their financial futures. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Others may be learning to live with a disability, giving up driving, caring for a spouse, moving from a longtime home, beginning a new relationship or adjusting to changes in independence. — Lee Ann Rawlins Williams, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was set up under a 2014 peace deal that saw the largest Muslim rebel group give up the goal of a separate Muslim state in the south of the largely Catholic country in exchange for broader autonomy. — Teresa Cerojano, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for give up

• buttercup
• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup

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