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

• leave

Adjective

• free
• freed
• shut (of)

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

In April alone, 3.2 million Americans quit their jobs. —Julia Korn, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

To say the quiet part out loud: many athletes have previously felt that choosing to have a child meant having to quit. —L'oréal Blackett, Refinery29, 30 June 2025

Noun

Iowa had the highest jump in quit rates, growing 0.8 percent from February to March, while Louisiana saw a 0.5 percent drop. —Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 June 2025

To Swanson, the high quit rate is further evidence that over the long term, the medications just aren’t that good. —Paul Tough Eric Jason Martin Krish Seenivasan Brian St. Pierre, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2025

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
• quietly quit
• quiet quit
• quit it
• rage quit

Rhymes for quit

• bit
• brit
• britt
• chit
• fit
• flit
• grit
• hit
• it
• kitt
• knit
• lit

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