Give up meaning
Give up means to stop doing or having something, often a habit. It can also mean to stop trying, because something is too hard.
give something up
give up · gave · given · giving
My dad gave up smoking when I was born.
Give up meanings and examples
3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level from Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries and the Cambridge Dictionary.
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1
Stop doing or having something, often a habit
give something up
- My dad gave up smoking when I was born.
- I’m trying to give up sugar, but it’s hard.
- Coffee? I gave it up last year.
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2
Stop trying, because something is too hard
give up
- Don’t give up. You’re nearly there.
- I couldn’t do the puzzle, so I gave up.
- She never gives up on her students.
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3
Let someone else have something, or stop having it
give somebody or something up
- He gave up his seat to an old man.
- She gave up her weekend to help us move.
- They had to give up their flat when the rent went up.
Café orders
New friends
At the airport
Slova
Use give up in real conversations
- Learn new words with picture cards
- Talk with Felix, an AI tutor, about the things you love
- Short lessons at your level, a few minutes a day
Is give up separable?
Give up is separable when it has an object: give up sugar, give sugar up. With a pronoun, it goes in the middle: give it up, not give up it.
When give up means stop trying, it has no object: Don’t give up. To add one, use on: Don’t give up on me.
Verb tenses for give up
| Present | I give up · she gives up |
|---|---|
| Past | gave up |
| Present perfect | have given up |
| -ing form | giving up |
Common mistakes with give up
What learners often say, and what to say instead.
Wrong: I gave up to smoke.
Right: I gave up smoking.
After give up, use the -ing form, not to + verb.
Wrong: Chocolate? I gave up it last month.
Right: Chocolate? I gave it up last month.
A pronoun goes between give and up.
Wrong: I gave up from the diet after a week.
Right: I gave up on the diet after a week.
Use on, not from: give up on a plan, give up on someone.
Synonyms and opposites of give up
Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.
Similar
- quitstop a habit or a job: She quit smoking
- give instop saying no and finally agree
- cut down ondo or have less of something, but not stop
Opposite
- take upstart a new hobby or habit
- carry onkeep doing something
- keep at itkeep trying when something is hard
Give up quiz
Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.
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1Choose the right sentence.
After give up, use the -ing form.
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2The exam was really hard, but I didn’t ___.
Here give up means stop trying, so it has no object.
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3Which sentence means he let someone else have his seat?
Give up something can mean let someone else have it.
More phrasal verbs with give
All phrasal verbs with give, by level, with an exercise
6 phrasal verbs start with give. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.
Give up FAQ
Questions people ask about give up.
What does give up on mean?
To give up on someone or something is to stop hoping they will work or change. I gave up on the old laptop and bought a new one.
What is the past tense of give up?
Gave up. The forms are give up, gives up, gave up, given up and giving up: I have given up coffee.
Is give up formal or informal?
It is neutral, so you can use it when you talk and in most writing. In very formal writing, stop, quit or abandon may fit better.
What are some synonyms for give up?
For a habit: quit or stop. For when you stop trying: admit defeat or surrender. For letting someone else have something: hand over.
Use give up in real conversations
In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.