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

The city has estimated if all three governments agree to extend the TADs, and therefore give up their portions of that tax revenue growth, at least $5 billion could be raised for infrastructure investment. — Shaddi Abusaid, AJC.com, 16 July 2026

If lettuce is not the source — or not the only one — people who give up salad may feel protected while still buying the food that is actually contaminated. — Katrine Wallace, STAT, 15 July 2026

The event was perfect — especially because prior to meeting and falling for Greenstein, 63, Porizkova, 61, was all but ready to give up on love. — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026

Norwegians who are better off are willing to give up some income to ensure that people in blue-collar jobs get by. — Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 14 July 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