quit

verb

\ ˈkwit

quit also quitted; quitting

Definition of quit

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : give up sense 1 quit a job

b : give up sense 2 quit smoking

c : to depart from or out of

d : to leave the company of

2 : to make full payment of : pay up quit a debt

3 : to set free : relieve, release quit oneself of fear

4 : conduct, acquit the youths quit themselves like men

intransitive verb

1 : to give up employment

2 : to cease normal, expected, or necessary action the engine quit

3 : to admit defeat : give up

quit

adjective

Definition of quit (Entry 2 of 3)

: released from obligation, charge, or penalty especially : free

quit

noun

Definition of quit (Entry 3 of 3)

: the act or an instance of quitting a job

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Is it quit or resign? More Example Sentences Learn More about quit

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Choose the Right Synonym for quit

Verb

stop, cease, quit, discontinue, desist mean to suspend or cause to suspend activity. stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness. stopped at the red light cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality. by nightfall the fighting had ceased quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing. the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice. we have discontinued the manufacture of that item desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing. desisted from further efforts to persuade them

Is it quit or resign?

Adjective

Should you quit or should you resign from your job? No matter which one you choose, it is likely that both of these actions will have the exact same effect on your future, as they are, in this sense, fairly synonymous. However, each is more likely to be found used in specific settings, so you may wish to choose your word with care. Resign is more formal, and will often be found when a person is describing relinquishing a position or office, especially if it is done in disgrace. While it would not be incorrect to say that a member of an organization's board, a king or queen, or a political leader "quit their position," it is more likely that the word resign would be employed.

Examples of quit in a Sentence

Verb

She quit college after one semester. She decided to quit show business. He quit teaching after five years. Many workers are quitting because of poor pay. She hates her job and she's thinking about quitting. She quit smoking years ago. I wish you would quit bothering her. We're going to quit for the day. It's too hot to keep working.

Adjective

I am finally quit of that terrible task.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

The boss of its main lobbying body has a novel solution: quit lobbying. — Stephen Wilmot, WSJ, "Lobbying Is Dead, Says Lobbying Boss," 7 Mar. 2019 Preventive measures, including quitting smoking, staying active, eating a nutritious diet, and addressing other underlying health conditions (e.g. diabetes or high blood pressure) can help reduce your risk. — Sarah Jacoby, SELF, "Luke Perry Dies at 52 After 'Massive' Stroke," 4 Mar. 2019 Prominent people keep publicly quitting the network — most recently Verge alum Walt Mossberg — but there are thousands of new users arriving every minute to replace them. — Russell Brandom, The Verge, "What’s wrong with Facebook and how to fix it," 27 Dec. 2018 AlamyGetty Images Soon after those nuptials, Casey quit Urban Everest. — Judy Greer, Marie Claire, "Rom-Com BFFs Get the Spotlight: Casey from 27 Dresses," 12 Feb. 2019 A dozen employees quit Google in protest of the project, and Google ultimately decided not to renew its contract with the military. — Timothy B. Lee, Ars Technica, "Google employees demand that Google stop work on censored Chinese search," 27 Nov. 2018 The narrative that Meghan Markle is constantly breaking royal protocol just won't quit. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, "No, Meghan Markle Didn't Break Royal Protocol With Her Dark Nail Polish," 17 Jan. 2019 Granted, the majority of people aren’t readily quitting Instagram, Facebook, or Google. — Ashley Carman, The Verge, "NPR wants to know what podcast ads you skip," 27 Dec. 2018 After a few years a feud with Gifford led Dever to quit and denounce the Klan, but not to reject its ideology or methods. — Longreads, "Oregon’s Racist Past," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Twitter launched an internal investigation into Mr. Kroll’s behavior after a star female Vine engineer quit, according to a former senior Twitter executive. — Yoree Koh, WSJ, "The Tech Whiz Behind Vine and HQ Trivia Made Millions in His 20s. He Was Dead by 34.," 15 Feb. 2019 The retired Marine general quit in late December in protest of Trump’s policies. — Robert Burns, The Seattle Times, "New Pentagon chief makes global debut with status uncertain," 11 Feb. 2019 One group received literature about the benefits of quitting along with positive encouragement to quit smoking (less than 1% of those quit for six months). — Sarah Gray, Fortune, "Money Is the Best Motivator for People to Quit Smoking, New Study Finds," 25 May 2018 The rate of quits holding steady despite extremely low unemployment could suggest that American workers are growing a bit more cautious about the labor market at time when employers are moving ahead with hiring plans, Mr. Wright said. — Eric Morath, WSJ, "Job Openings Push Further into Record Territory at End of 2018," 12 Feb. 2019 Interim coach Dave Sarachan took over when Bruce Arena quit and gave debuts to 23 players in 14 months. — Ronald Blum, The Seattle Times, "Berhalter says US Soccer needs direction and development," 4 Dec. 2018 Those products could include e-cigarettes, though the FDA has not given any company permission to advertise its device as a quit-smoking aid. — Fox News, "Calling teen vaping 'epidemic,' officials weigh flavor ban," 13 Sep. 2018 Esperanza Longhi - who also taught second grade - quit in February. — Anthony Faiola And Rachelle Krygier, chicagotribune.com, "A historic exodus is leaving Venezuela without teachers, doctors and electricians," 4 June 2018 One was let go and two quit because of the working hours, Ms. Wells said. — Sarah Krouse, WSJ, "911 Emergency: Call Centers Can’t Find Workers," 4 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.