What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Pursue vs Abandon - What's the difference?

pursue | abandon |

In transitive terms the difference between pursue and abandon

is that pursue is to participate in (an activity, business etc.); to practise, follow (a profession) while abandon is to surrender to the insurer the insured item, so as to claim a total loss.

As verbs the difference between pursue and abandon

is that pursue is to follow with harmful intent; to try to harm, to persecute, torment while abandon is to subdue; to take control of.

As a noun abandon is

a yielding to natural impulses or inhibitions; freedom from artificial constraint, with loss of appreciation of consequences.

As an adverb abandon is

freely; entirely.

pursue

English

Verb

(pursu)
  • (obsolete) To follow with harmful intent; to try to harm, to persecute, torment.
  • To follow urgently, originally with intent to capture or harm; to chase.
  • * Wyclif Bible, John xv. 20
    • The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have pursued' me, they shall ' pursue you also.
  • * 2009 , Martin Chulov, ‘Iraqi shoe-thrower claims he suffered torture in jail’, The Guardian , 15 Sep 09:
    • He now feared for his life, and believed US intelligence agents would pursue him.
  • To follow, travel down (a particular way, course of action etc.).
    • Her rival pursued a quite different course.
  • To aim for, go after (a specified objective, situation etc.).
  • * 2009 , Benjamin Pogrund, ‘Freeze won't hurt Netanyahu’, The Guardian , 1 Dec 09:
    • He even stands to gain in world terms: his noisy critics strengthen his projected image of a man determined to pursue peace with Palestinians.
  • To participate in (an activity, business etc.); to practise, follow (a profession).

    • See also

    * follow * chase

    abandon

    English

    Etymology 1

    * From (etyl) abandounen, from (etyl) abandoner, formed from . See also (l), (l). * Displaced (etyl) forleten .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To subdue; to take control of.
  • To give up control of, to surrender or to give oneself over, or to yield to one's emotions.
  • * Macaulay
    • He abandoned himself to his favourite vice.
  • To desist in doing, practicing, following, holding, or adhering to; to turn away from; to permit to lapse; to renounce; to discontinue.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-05-17
    • , author=George Monbiot, authorlink=George Monbiot , title=Money just makes the rich suffer , volume=188, issue=23, page=19 , magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/06/politics-envy-keenest-rich , passage=In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured.
  • To leave behind; to desert as in a ship or a position, typically in response to overwhelming odds or impending dangers; to forsake, in spite of a duty or responsibility.
  • * (rfdate) I. Taylor:
    • Hope was overthrown, yet could not be abandoned .
    Many baby girls have been abandoned on the streets of Beijing.
  • (obsolete) To cast out; to banish; to expel; to reject.
  • * 1594 , , The Taming of the Shrew , act I, scene ii:
    • Being all this time abandoned from your bed.
  • * Udall
    • that he might abandon them from him
  • To no longer exercise a right, title, or interest, especially with no interest of reclaiming it again; to yield; to relinquish.
  • To surrender to the insurer the insured item, so as to claim a total loss.
    • Synonyms
    (synonyms of "abandon") * abdicate * blin * cede * desert * forego * forlet * forsake * give up * leave * quit * relinquish * renounce * resign * retire * surrender * withdraw from * withsake * yield
    Derived terms
    (terms derived from "abandon") * aband * abandoned * abandonee * abandoner * abandonware
    Related terms
    * abandonment * abandonware

    Etymology 2

    * From (etyl), from (etyl) abandon, from abondonner.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A yielding to natural impulses or inhibitions; freedom from artificial constraint, with loss of appreciation of consequences. .
  • * 1954 , , Messiah :
    • I envy those chroniclers who assert with reckless but sincere abandon : 'I was there. I saw it happen. It happened thus.'
  • * 2007 , Akiva Goldsman and Mark Protosevich, :
    • They needed to have an abandon in their performance that you just can’t get out of people in the middle of the night when they’re barefoot.
  • (obsolete) abandonment; relinquishment.
    • Synonyms
    * (giving up to impulses) wantonness, unrestraint, libertinism, abandonment, profligacy, unconstraint

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • (obsolete, not comparable) Freely; entirely.
  • * 1330 , Arthour and Merlin :
    • His ribbes and scholder fel adoun,/Men might se the liver abandoun .

    References

    ----