Give up

Meaning

The idiom "give up" means to surrender or renounce something willingly, often after trying for a long time without success. It can also mean to stop doing something or to abandon one's efforts.

Usage

• After months of trying to save their failing business, they finally decided to give up and declare bankruptcy.
• The athlete gave up during the marathon when he felt like he could no longer go on.
• She had been studying for her exams for weeks, but when she got a low score on a practice test, she gave up and decided to take a break.
• The couple had been trying to have a baby for years, but after multiple failed attempts at IVF, they finally gave up and decided to adopt.
• When he saw the size of the spider, he gave up on his fear of arachnophobia and decided to take a closer look.

Roots and History

The idiom "give up" has been in use since the Middle Ages. It comes from Old French "giver," which means "to give." In medieval times, people would "give up" something as an act of penance or self-sacrifice. Over time, the idiom evolved to mean abandoning one's efforts or giving in to defeat.

Synonyms in English

• Surrender
• Abandon
• Concede
• Relinquish
• Yield

Synonyms in other languages

• French: "capituler" (to surrender)
• Spanish: "rendirse" (to surrender)
• German: "geben auf" (to give up)
• Italian: "abbandonare" (to abandon)
• Japanese: "協議" (to compromise)

Similar Idioms

• get down to brass tacks

• grist to the mill

• good account of