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

No team had given up more runs in a three-day span in 75 years. —Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 May 2025

Elder allowed only one homer in his past three starts before giving up two Friday to the Pirates’ Nos. 8-9 hitters: Alexander Canario and Jared Triolo. —David O'Brien, New York Times, 10 May 2025

Colorado’s 21 runs allowed were its most since giving up 25 to the Angels on June 24, 2023. —Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 10 May 2025

The only run was the home run by Tucker, the first homer given up by Holmes this season. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025

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