give up
Definition of give 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
4a : to abandon (oneself) to a particular feeling, influence, or activity gave himself up to despairb : 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
give up the ghost
: to cease to live or function : die
Read the Latest from M-W
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.
First Known Use of give up
13th century
Learn More about give up
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for give up Spanish Central: Translation of give up Nglish: Translation of give up for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of give up for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up give up? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!