quit

1 of 3

verb

ˈkwit 

quit also quitted; quitting

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

2 of 3

adjective

: released from obligation, charge, or penalty

especially : free

quit

3 of 3

noun

: the act or an instance of quitting a job

Did you know?

Is it quit or resign?

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.

Synonyms

Verb

• bag
• chuck
• leave
• resign (from)
• retire (from)
• step aside (from)
• step down (from)

Adjective

• disencumbered
• free
• shut (of)
• unburdened

Choose the Right Synonym for quit

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

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.

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Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Instant Articles lasted longer, but the media industry didn't mourn its passing earlier this year; a Columbia Journalism Review study showed more than half of launch partners quit within three years. —Nicole Kobie, WIRED, 11 Sep. 2023

She’s noticed those struggles in Peyton, who quit her job at Tricky Fish soon after Jackson’s CNN interview. —Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2023

The key is the massive, capable Brown, who looked checked out at times last season, though not nearly as often as former first-round pick Isaiah Wynn, who can now quit on the Dolphins’ time. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023

After about three to six months of regular wear, those elastic fibers start to call it quits, and your socks won't work their compression magic as well. —John Thompson, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2023

The assistant coach of the Bremerton High School football team in Washington state quit his job after participating in just one game last week. —Matt Ford, The New Republic, 8 Sep. 2023

One high-ranking official quit after concluding that her hiring was just window dressing. —Jeré Longman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2023

Trending News One way employers drive workers to quit? —Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 7 Sep. 2023

And as more people quit posting, Musk’s social media celebrity may be in danger. —Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, 5 Sep. 2023

Noun

Hires and quits are back to their pre-pandemic levels, and job openings are falling rapidly. —Chloe Taylor, Fortune, 8 Sep. 2023

Bloomberg - Job openings and reported quits dropped in July as the labor market continues to cool. —Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2023

The quits rate, viewed as a measure of labor market confidence, fell to 2.3%. —Reuters, NBC News, 29 Aug. 2023

In June, hires fell to their lowest level since before the pandemic; however, other labor turnover metrics remain farther afield of their pre-pandemic levels: In February 2020, openings were just shy of 7 million, quits were 3.49 million and layoffs were 1.968. —Alicia Wallace, CNN, 1 Aug. 2023

Finally, ongoing development of managerial and technical talent will help a company cope with future retirements and quits. —Bill Conerly, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2023

The effect on quit rates in the trial was modest, but comparable to bupropion, which blocks nicotine receptors in the brain. —Simon Makin, Scientific American, 23 June 2023

Essentially, quits are back to the 2019 pre-Covid average. —Samantha Delouya, CNN, 13 June 2023

This boost in worker confidence coincides with a surge in the quits rate. —BostonGlobe.com, 20 July 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English quiten, quitten, from Anglo-French quiter, from quite free of, released, from Latin quietus quiet, at rest

Adjective

Middle English quite, quit, from Anglo-French

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

circa 1923, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing quit

• force quit
• notice to quit
• quit it
• rage quit
• quiet quit
• quietly quit

• force quit
• notice to quit
• quit it
• rage quit
• quiet quit
• quietly quit

Kids Definition

quit

1 of 2 adjective

ˈkwit 

: released from duty, responsibility, or penalty : free

quit of debt

quit

2 of 2 verb

quit also quitted; quitting

1

: to make full payment to or for : repay

quit a debt

2

: conduct entry 2 sense 4

the children quit themselves well in the woods

3

a

: to depart from : leave

quit the scene of the accident

b

: to bring to an end : abandon

c

: to give up (as an action or activity) for good

quit bragging

quit a job

4

: to admit defeat : surrender