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

In the five shutout innings to follow, Roden gave up only one hit while striking out three. —Steve Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 May 2026

Myers and Manaea gave up one run each. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 23 May 2026

Wrobleski has only given up more than two runs in one other start this season. —Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 23 May 2026

Dye returns as the supe Bombsight, who appeared in Season 5 and briefly battled Soldier Boy before giving up his super strength and immortality caused by the V1 serum. —Jordan Moreau, Variety, 22 May 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