abandoned
adjective
aban·doned
ə-ˈban-dənd 
1
a
: left without needed protection, care, or support
an abandoned baby
… she … began to live in what she referred to as the straitened circumstances of an abandoned woman.—
Richard Russo
Richard Russo
b
: left by the owner
an abandoned car
: left to fall into a state of disuse
an abandoned field
abandoned property
an abandoned factory
c
: no longer held or thought of : given up
abandoned hopes/dreams
2
: wholly free from restraint
The lower the beer dropped in the kegs, the more abandoned and frenzied the dancers became.—Don Asher
Don Asher… unless you can convince them that you are as abandoned a profligate as themselves.—George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard ShawSynonyms
Examples of abandoned in a Sentence
He led a reckless and abandoned life and died young.
she consciously avoided walking past the abandoned house, with its broken windows and sagging porch
Recent Examples on the Web
According to the nonprofit, Kristin Davis found the abandoned and weak elephant calf while on a trip near Kenya's Chyulu Hills.
—Kelli Bender, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024
Seen in a video that moves through the abandoned and disarrayed hallways of the pediatric intensive care unit at Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital in northern Gaza were several babies whose unattended bodies lay on separate hospital beds.
—Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2023
The area to the east of the highway is markedly different, with lower property values and more abandoned and foreclosed homes.
—Mark Walker, New York Times, 25 May 2023
Are there factors unique to Turkey and Syria that will shape the impact of the earthquake on people’s mental health? Syria may feel very abandoned.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for abandoned 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kelli Bender, People.com, 15 Oct. 2024
Seen in a video that moves through the abandoned and disarrayed hallways of the pediatric intensive care unit at Al-Nasr Children’s Hospital in northern Gaza were several babies whose unattended bodies lay on separate hospital beds.
—Yasmine Salam, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2023
The area to the east of the highway is markedly different, with lower property values and more abandoned and foreclosed homes.
—Mark Walker, New York Times, 25 May 2023
Are there factors unique to Turkey and Syria that will shape the impact of the earthquake on people’s mental health? Syria may feel very abandoned.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 17 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for abandoned
Dictionary Entries Near abandoned
Cite this Entry
“Abandoned.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abandoned. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
abandoned
adjective
aban·doned
ə-ˈban-dənd
1
: that has been deserted : left empty or unused
an abandoned house
2
: completely free from restraint
abandoned laughter
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share