English Dictionary

GIVE UP

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does give up mean? 

GIVE UP (verb)
  The verb GIVE UP has 12 senses:

1. lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crimeplay

2. give up with the intent of never claiming againplay

3. give up in the face of defeat of lacking hope; admit defeatplay

4. put an end to a state or an activityplay

5. give up what is not strictly neededplay

6. part with a possession or rightplay

7. leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarilyplay

8. relinquish possession or control overplay

9. give up or agree to forgo to the power or possession of anotherplay

10. stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claimsplay

11. allow the other (baseball) team to scoreplay

12. stop consumingplay

  Familiarity information: GIVE UP used as a verb is familiar.


 Dictionary entry details 


GIVE UP (verb)


Sense 1

Meaning:

Lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crime

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

forego; forfeit; forgo; give up; throw overboard; waive

Context example:

forfeited property

Hypernyms (to "give up" is one way to...):

abandon (forsake, leave behind)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "give up"):

lapse (let slip)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something


Sense 2

Meaning:

Give up with the intent of never claiming again

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

abandon; give up

Context example:

We gave the drowning victim up for dead

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "give up"):

foreswear; quit; relinquish; renounce (turn away from; give up)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody


Sense 3

Meaning:

Give up in the face of defeat of lacking hope; admit defeat

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

chuck up the sponge; drop by the wayside; drop out; fall by the wayside; give up; quit; throw in; throw in the towel

Context example:

In the second round, the challenger gave up

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s PP


Sense 4

Meaning:

Put an end to a state or an activity

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

cease; discontinue; give up; lay off; quit; stop

Context example:

Quit teasing your little brother

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "give up"):

drop; knock off (stop pursuing or acting)

leave off (stop using)

sign off (cease broadcasting; get off the air; as of radio stations)

retire; withdraw (withdraw from active participation)

pull the plug (prevent from happening or continuing)

close off; shut off (stem the flow of)

cheese (used in the imperative (get away, or stop it))

call it a day; call it quits (stop doing what one is doing)

break (give up)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sentence example:

They give up moving


Sense 5

Meaning:

Give up what is not strictly needed

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

dispense with; give up; part with; spare

Context example:

he asked if they could spare one of their horses to speed his journey

Hypernyms (to "give up" is one way to...):

give (transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something


Sense 6

Meaning:

Part with a possession or right

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

free; give up; release; relinquish; resign

Context example:

resign a claim to the throne

Hypernyms (to "give up" is one way to...):

give; hand; pass; pass on; reach; turn over (place into the hands or custody of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "give up"):

give; sacrifice (endure the loss of)

derequisition (release from government control)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody


Sense 7

Meaning:

Leave (a job, post, or position) voluntarily

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

give up; renounce; resign; vacate

Context example:

The chairman resigned when he was found to have misappropriated funds

Hypernyms (to "give up" is one way to...):

leave office; quit; resign; step down (give up or retire from a position)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "give up"):

abdicate; renounce (give up, such as power, as of monarchs and emperors, or duties and obligations)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something


Sense 8

Meaning:

Relinquish possession or control over

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

cede; deliver; give up; surrender

Context example:

The squatters had to surrender the building after the police moved in

Hypernyms (to "give up" is one way to...):

gift; give; present (give as a present; make a gift of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "give up"):

yield up (surrender, as a result of pressure or force)

sell (give up for a price or reward)

sign away; sign over (formally assign ownership of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody


Sense 9

Meaning:

Give up or agree to forgo to the power or possession of another

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

give up; surrender

Context example:

The last Taleban fighters finally surrendered

Hypernyms (to "give up" is one way to...):

yield (cease opposition; stop fighting)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "give up"):

abnegate (surrender (power or a position))

concede (acknowledge defeat)

capitulate (surrender under agreed conditions)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody


Sense 10

Meaning:

Stop maintaining or insisting on; of ideas or claims

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

abandon; give up

Context example:

Both sides have to give up some claims in these negotiations

Verb group:

ease up; give; give way; move over; yield (move in order to make room for someone for something)

break; cave in; collapse; fall in; founder; give; give way (break down, literally or metaphorically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "give up"):

sell out (abandon one's principles for expedience or financial gain)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something


Sense 11

Meaning:

Allow the other (baseball) team to score

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

allow; give up

Context example:

give up a run

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something


Sense 12

Meaning:

Stop consuming

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Synonyms:

give up; kick

Context example:

give up alcohol

Hypernyms (to "give up" is one way to...):

dispense with; forego; foreswear; forgo; relinquish; waive (do without or cease to hold or adhere to)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s VERB-ing


 Context examples 


It was the imprudence which had brought things to extremity, and obliged her brother to give up every dearer plan in order to fly with her.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

"You can't know how hard it is for me to give up Meg," she continued with a little quiver in her voice.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Catherine went every five minutes to the clock, threatening on each return that, if it still kept on raining another five minutes, she would give up the matter as hopeless.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

And again she earnestly conjured me to give up all thoughts of going out with her brother.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

One does not give up a god easily, and so with White Fang.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

You are extremely kind, said Jane; but I cannot give up my early walk.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Not yet, however, in spite of her disappointment in her husband, did Mrs. Bennet give up the point.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Captain Benwick must give up his room to them, and get another bed elsewhere; and the whole was settled.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

It can allow them to give up insulin shots.

(Pancreas Transplantation, NIH)

Nothing should prevail on him to give up his engagement.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"Jove but laughs at lover's perjury." (English proverb)

"Help yourself to help God help you." (Bulgarian proverb)

"If the people wanted life, destiny better respond." (Arabic proverb)

"A good deed is worth gold." (Dutch proverb)



ALSO IN ENGLISH DICTIONARY:


© 2000-2023 AudioEnglish.org | AudioEnglish® is a Registered Trademark | Terms of use and privacy policy
Contact