abandonvspursue
Abandon and pursue are opposites when it comes to a goal. To abandon a goal is to give it up — to turn away and leave it for good (abandon the plan, abandon the search). To pursue a goal is to go after it — to chase it with sustained effort, the gap still open (pursue a dream, pursue a career). One turns away from the thing; the other runs toward it.
A hand opens and lets a leash slip; the figure walks off in even steps and never looks back. The small dog stays where it was set down as the warm light around it shrinks inward. The figure is moving away from the thing — turned, gone, the light left to fade.
/əˈbændən//əˈbændən/·verbSomeone breaks into a run with one hand flung out ahead, fingers spread for a light that hovers just past them. Every time the stride gains and the hand nearly closes on it, the light slides forward by the very same distance, and the gap stays exactly as wide as before. The legs keep driving, the reach keeps stretching — always toward the light, never away.
/pərˈsuː//pəˈsjuː/·verbThese two face opposite directions on the same goal: away from it or after it. Abandon, from Old French abandoner ('to give up to fate'), turns its back — the goal is left, untended. Pursue, from Latin prosequi ('to follow after'), does the reverse: it keeps after the thing, closing the gap. Where abandon stops and walks off, pursue runs on. Abandon turns away; pursue goes after.
What each means
abandon
To abandon is to walk away and not come back — to give up a thing, a place, or a person entirely, leaving it to its fate. You abandon a sinking ship, an old plan, a search. The word carries finality and often a trace of failure or desertion: what is abandoned is left behind, untended, alone. There is a second, almost opposite sense in the noun phrase 'with abandon', meaning with complete freedom from restraint — but the verb is about letting go for good.
pursue
To pursue something is to go after it — to chase a person, a goal, or a line of thought with sustained effort. It comes through Old French from Latin prosequi, 'to follow after', and that following is the heart of it: a pursuit is all forward motion, the gap between you and the thing still open. You pursue a career, a degree, a suspect, an interest. Where to achieve is to reach the goal at last, and to abandon is to turn away from it, pursue is the chase still underway.
At a glance
| abandon | pursue | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | to give up a goal and turn away | to go after a goal with effort |
| Direction | away from the thing | toward the thing |
| Motion | stops, walks off | keeps running, closing the gap |
| Often with | abandon a plan, the search, hope, a dream | pursue a career, a degree, a dream, an interest |
| The goal is | left, untended | chased, still ahead |
| Example | They abandoned the rescue at nightfall. | They pursued the case for years. |
How to remember the difference
They are opposites — you turn away or you go after. Abandon is the figure walking off from the shrinking light: the goal given up and left behind (abandon the plan, abandon the search). Pursue is the runner reaching for a light that keeps its lead: always after the thing, the chase still on (pursue a dream, pursue a career). If you turn your back on the goal, you abandon it; if you keep going after it, you pursue it.
Examples
abandon
- After two cold weeks they abandoned the search.
- He abandoned the idea once the costs became clear.
- Don't abandon your studies so close to the end.
pursue
- She left home to pursue a career in science.
- They pursued the claim through every court.
- He pursued the goal with single-minded focus.
They are opposites for a goal: to abandon a dream is to let it die, while to pursue a dream is to chase it. The same person can abandon one path to pursue another — turning away from one goal to run after a different one.
FAQ
- What is the difference between abandon and pursue?
- For a goal, they are opposites. Abandon is to give it up and turn away (abandon the plan). Pursue is to go after it with effort, the gap still open (pursue a dream). One turns away; the other runs toward.
- Are abandon and pursue opposites?
- Yes, when both take a goal — abandon gives the goal up; pursue keeps chasing it.
- Can abandon and pursue be used interchangeably?
- No — they are opposite. Abandon a claim means drop it; pursue a claim means press on with it.
- What is the opposite of pursue?
- To abandon, give up, or drop. To pursue is to keep after a goal; to abandon is to turn away from it.
- Can you abandon one goal to pursue another?
- Yes — that is a common pairing: you abandon (give up) one path in order to pursue (go after) a different one.
- What are the noun forms?
- Abandon gives abandonment; pursue gives pursuit.