Antonyms for abandoning

Grammar : Verb

Spell : uh-ban-duhn

Phonetic Transcription : əˈbæn dən

Definition of abandoning

Origin : late 14c., "to give up, surrender (oneself or something), give over utterly; to yield (oneself) utterly (to religion, fornication, etc.)," from Old French abandoner (12c.), from adverbial phrase à bandon "at will, at discretion," from à "at, to" (see ad-) + bandon "power, jurisdiction," from Latin bannum, "proclamation," from a Frankish word related to ban (v.).
Mettre sa forest à bandon was a feudal law phrase in the 13th cent. = mettre sa forêt à permission, i.e. to open it freely to any one for pasture or to cut wood in; hence the later sense of giving up one's rights for a time, letting go, leaving, abandoning. [Auguste Brachet, "An Etymological Dictionary of the French Language," transl. G.W. Kitchin, Oxford, 1878]
Etymologically, the word carries a sense of "put someone under someone else's control." Meaning "to give up absolutely" is from late 14c. Related: Abandoned; abandoning.

verb leave behind, relinquish
verb leave in troubled state

Example sentences :

He had been bothered by no fine qualms about abandoning herself.
Extract from : « Dust » by Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius

So she made no objection to his abandoning his desk in the house of Dunbar, Dunbar, and Balderby.
Extract from : « Henry Dunbar » by M. E. Braddon

"It's never a day for abandoning what has been dear to one," replied Florence.
Extract from : « The Mystery of Murray Davenport » by Robert Neilson Stephens

They had no thought of abandoning any of their pursuits or pleasures, be they never so deplorable.
Extract from : « The Law-Breakers » by Ridgwell Cullum

For a moment that seemed like treachery, like an abandoning of Hermione.
Extract from : « A Spirit in Prison » by Robert Hichens

His victory made him uneasy, yet he saw no way of abandoning it with decorum.
Extract from : « The Market-Place » by Harold Frederic

He had been within an ace of abandoning his historical mission.
Extract from : « Dreamers of the Ghetto » by I. Zangwill

I at once came to the resolution of abandoning the case, and so I told my colleague.
Extract from : « An Essay on Professional Ethics » by George Sharswood

Abandoning his controls for an instant, Damis looked into one of the observers.
Extract from : « Giants on the Earth » by Sterner St. Paul Meek

But, in the mean time, are you right in abandoning this property, and your country with it?
Extract from : « Captains of Industry » by James Parton

Synonyms for abandoning

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019