deserting
Leaving someone behind
Deserting is leaving someone or something that depends on you, typically when that abandonment constitutes a betrayal: He was arrested for deserting his post.
A soldier deserting leaves military service without permission.
More broadly, deserting applies to any act of abandonment—deserting a spouse, deserting a cause, deserting one's principles.
The fans are deserting in droves.
Act of going away
- strandingLeaving helplessly isolated
- marooningAbandoning in isolation
- jiltingAbruptly ending courtship
- ditchingHastily discarding something
dropping · relinquishing · vacating · walking out · casting off · neglecting · discarding · dumping
Abandoning one's loyalty
- abscondingDeparting secretly to evade
- decampingLeaving suddenly, often secretly
- treasonBetraying one's nation
- court-martialArmed forces judicial proceeding
discharge · cowardice · mutiny · renegade · turncoat · fugitive · evasion · insubordination
Absence of substance
- barrennessInability to bear fruit
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- forsakennessState of being abandoned
- ghost townDeserted former inhabited place
wasteland · ruins · decay · neglect · vacancy · hollowness · bleakness · remoteness
Deliberate violation of trust
- disloyaltyBreach of allegiance
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- double-crossingBetraying someone's trust
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
unfaithfulness · sellout · apostasy · ratting out · duplicity
Rapid escape from danger
- escapingDeparting confinement hastily
- boltingDeparting at speed
- retreatingMoving back from advance
- evacuatingLeaving a dangerous area
absconding · running away · taking off · disappearing · vanishing · slipping away · sneaking off · cutting and running
leaving
Act of going away
- strandingLeaving helplessly isolated
- marooningAbandoning in isolation
- jiltingAbruptly ending courtship
ditching · dropping · relinquishing · vacating · walking out · casting off · neglecting · discarding · dumping · renouncing
defection
Abandoning one's loyalty
- abscondingDeparting secretly to evade
- decampingLeaving suddenly, often secretly
- treasonBetraying one's nation
court-martial · discharge · cowardice · mutiny · renegade · turncoat · fugitive · evasion · insubordination · draft dodging
emptiness
Absence of substance
- barrennessInability to bear fruit
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- forsakennessState of being abandoned
ghost town · wasteland · ruins · decay · neglect · vacancy · hollowness · bleakness · remoteness · uninhabited
treachery
Deliberate violation of trust
- disloyaltyBreach of allegiance
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- double-crossingBetraying someone's trust
perfidy · unfaithfulness · sellout · apostasy · ratting out · duplicity
fleeing
Rapid escape from danger
- escapingDeparting confinement hastily
- boltingDeparting at speed
- retreatingMoving back from advance
evacuating · absconding · running away · taking off · disappearing · vanishing · slipping away · sneaking off · cutting and running
- stealthsneak, ninja, creep, spy, skulk
- letting downdisappointing, failing, betraying, neglecting, standing up
- letting goletting go, forgive, giving up, let go, relinquishing
desertingsupporting
Bearing or sustaining
standing by · backing · championing · defending · upholding
desertingstaying
Continuing in place
remaining · abiding · settling · inhabiting · lingering
desertingserving
Measured food portion
enlisting · reporting for duty · soldiering on · mustering · deploying