renounce
Give up officially
To renounce is to formally give up or reject something—a claim, a right, a belief, or an allegiance: She renounced her citizenship, He renounced his claim to the throne.
The word carries weight and finality, implying a deliberate, often public declaration.
One renounces worldly possessions, renounces violence, renounces a former faith.
The noun is renunciation.
Reject under oath
- abjureSolemnly reject or recant
- swear offVow to abstain
- recantFormally withdraw a statement
- retractWithdraw something said
disavow · repudiate · take back · unsay · withdraw · revoke · rescind · apostasy
Abandon completely
- relinquishVoluntarily give up control
- give upStop attempting something
- let goCease holding something
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
yield · cede · waive · forgo · sacrifice · part with · walk away from · turn back on
Reject or garbage
- declineDecrease or refuse
- spurnRefuse with contempt
- rebuffAbrupt, curt rejection
- dismissSend away or reject
turn down · repudiate · eschew · shun · snub · disdain · scorn · pass up
Revoke bequest rights
- cast offRelease or discard
- cut offSeparated or disconnected
- disavowDeny any association
- repudiateReject as having no authority
disclaim · reject · estrange · wash hands of · turn back on · excommunicate · ostracize · expel
forswear
Reject under oath
retract · disavow · repudiate · take back · unsay · withdraw · revoke · rescind · apostasy · oath-breaking
forsake
Abandon completely
- relinquishVoluntarily give up control
- give upStop attempting something
- let goCease holding something
surrender · yield · cede · waive · forgo · sacrifice · part with · walk away from · turn back on · leave behind
refuse
Reject or garbage
dismiss · turn down · repudiate · eschew · shun · snub · disdain · scorn · pass up · deny
disinherit
Revoke bequest rights
repudiate · disclaim · reject · estrange · wash hands of · turn back on · excommunicate · ostracize · expel · banish
capitulate
Yield under pressure
cede · acquiesce · give in · back down · lay down arms · wave white flag · bow · succumb · resign · abdicate
refrain
Abstain from acting
forbear · withhold · curb · restrain · hold back · give up · go without · deny oneself · fast · temperance
- abandonmentabandon, abandoned, forsake, desert, leave
- abstinencesobriety, celibacy, chastity, teetotalism, fasting
- giving upgive up, giving up, quit, quitting, surrender
- removalremove, elimination, delete, erasing, erase
- reversalsreverse, undo, revert, overturn, flip
- bridgecontract bridge, duplicate bridge, rubber bridge, bridge table, trump
- renounce the worldReject secular life entirely
renouncing, renounced, renounces, renouncer, renouncement, renouncers