giving up
Throwing the towel
Giving up is ceasing to try, abandoning an effort or hope.
It can be a moment of defeat—I'm giving up on this puzzle—or a deliberate release: She's giving up sugar for Lent.
To give up on someone is to stop believing they'll change or succeed.
Giving up the ghost means dying or finally failing.
Complete yielding to demands
- white flagSignal of capitulation
- yieldingBending under pressure
- submissionYielding to another's will
- concessionYielding a point
laying down arms · truce · armistice · ceasefire · succumbing · knuckling under · caving in · admitting defeat
A full stopping
- stoppingCeasing to continue
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- withdrawalAct of taking away
- discontinuationFormal ending of something
termination · halting · ending · abstinence · relinquishment · foregoing · disengagement · cold turkey
Consent to receive
- stoicismUncomplaining acceptance of difficulty
- fatalismDoctrine of inevitable outcomes
- acquiescenceUnresisting acceptance
- concedingAcknowledging another's claim
defeat · coming to terms · making peace · letting be · releasing · moving on · closure · detachment
Prioritizing others over oneself
- altruismPrioritizing others' wellbeing
- foregoingPreviously mentioned or stated
- relinquishmentFormal giving up
- offeringSomething presented or given
devotion · self-denial · renunciation · parting with · donating · forfeiting · martyrdom · self-sacrifice
State without hope
- helplessnessLacking ability to cope
- dejectionState of lowness
- desolationState of complete emptiness
- discouragementLoss of confidence
despondency · defeat · loss of hope · bleakness · broken spirit · rock bottom · desperation · crushing defeat
capitulation
Complete yielding to demands
- white flagSignal of capitulation
- yieldingBending under pressure
- submissionYielding to another's will
concession · laying down arms · truce · armistice · ceasefire · succumbing · knuckling under · caving in · admitting defeat · raising hands
cessation
A full stopping
- stoppingCeasing to continue
- abandonmentAct of leaving permanently
- withdrawalAct of taking away
discontinuation · termination · halting · ending · abstinence · relinquishment · foregoing · disengagement · cold turkey · walking away
acceptance
Consent to receive
- stoicismUncomplaining acceptance of difficulty
- fatalismDoctrine of inevitable outcomes
- acquiescenceUnresisting acceptance
conceding · defeat · coming to terms · making peace · letting be · releasing · moving on · closure · detachment · disillusionment
selflessness
Prioritizing others over oneself
- altruismPrioritizing others' wellbeing
- foregoingPreviously mentioned or stated
- relinquishmentFormal giving up
offering · devotion · self-denial · renunciation · parting with · donating · forfeiting · martyrdom · self-sacrifice
hopelessness
State without hope
- helplessnessLacking ability to cope
- dejectionState of lowness
- desolationState of complete emptiness
discouragement · despondency · defeat · loss of hope · bleakness · broken spirit · rock bottom · desperation · crushing defeat · losing heart
- New Year's resolutionsI pledge, fresh start, clean slate, new chapter, starting over
- surrendersurrender, surrenders, surrendering, I surrender, capitulate
- Surrenderscapitulation, unconditional surrender, formal surrender, surrender ceremony, white flag
- defeatismdefeatism, hopelessness, resignation, capitulation, white flag
- abstinencesobriety, celibacy, chastity, teetotalism, fasting
- despairdespair, hopelessness, desolation, despondency, dejection
giving uppersevering
Maintaining effort despite difficulty
persisting · perseverance · persistence · keeping going · carrying on
giving upkeeping
Holding in custody
retaining · maintaining · claiming · acquiring · taking
giving uphoping
Desiring with expectation
believing · having faith · keeping faith · trusting · keeping the faith
give, giving, give up, giver, relinquish, gave up, givers, given up