To stop trying at something, to abandon a habit or activity, or to surrender someone or something.
To stop trying because it feels too hard, or to quit doing something permanently.
4 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To stop trying to do something because it seems too difficult or impossible.
"Don't give up — you're almost at the finish line!"
Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
— Thomas Edison (widely attributed)
To stop doing or having something, especially a habit.
"He gave up caffeine after his doctor advised him to."
To surrender someone to the authorities or to an enemy.
"The fugitive was given up by his own brother."
To stop believing that someone will recover, succeed, or be found.
"After five days, the search team gave up hope of finding survivors."
One of the most commonly taught and used phrasal verbs in English. It is used across all contexts and registers. The intransitive sense ('Don't give up!') and the transitive sense ('She gave up smoking') are both extremely common. Also used to mean surrendering a person to authorities.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Listen to native speakers using "give up" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
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