give upvspursue
Give up and pursue are opposites of effort. To give up is to stop trying — to surrender the chase and let the goal go (give up trying, give up hope). To pursue is to keep going after something — to chase it with sustained effort, the gap still open (pursue a dream, pursue a career). One stops the chase; the other keeps it running.
Someone sets a shoulder against a heavy block and drives, trying to shove it the last stretch toward a light just past it. It will not move. They strain, reset, strain again — then stop, turn, and slide down the block to sit at its foot, head sinking. The light beyond goes out, because nothing is reaching for it any more.
/ˌɡɪv ˈʌp//ˌɡɪv ˈʌp/·phrasal 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 same distance, and the gap stays exactly as wide. The legs keep driving, the reach keeps stretching — the chase never stops.
/pərˈsuː//pəˈsjuː/·verbThese two face opposite ways on a goal still ahead. Give up is the plain phrasal verb for stopping — the effort ends, the goal abandoned. Pursue, from Latin prosequi ('to follow after'), is its opposite: the chase continues, the runner still after the thing. Where give up halts and sits down, pursue keeps driving forward. Give up is the chase ended; pursue is the chase still on.
What each means
give up
To give up is to stop trying — the everyday, colloquial way to say the effort has ended. It aims at striving rather than things: you give up hope, give up smoking, give up on a dream, give up a seat. Where pursue presses on and achieve carries the effort through to its end, give up is the moment the pushing stops. It can mean a healthy letting-go of a habit, or simple defeat; either way, something that was being reached for is released.
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
| give up | pursue | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | to stop trying; to surrender the chase | to keep going after a goal |
| The chase | halted | still running |
| Motion | stops, sits down | keeps driving forward |
| Often with | give up trying, hope, on a dream | pursue a career, a degree, a dream, an interest |
| The goal is | let go | still chased, still ahead |
| Example | He gave up the search at dusk. | He pursued the search till morning. |
How to remember the difference
They are opposites — the chase stops or keeps running. Give up is the figure who stops shoving the block and sits as the light goes out: the effort surrendered, the goal let go (give up trying, give up hope). Pursue is the runner reaching for a light that keeps its lead: the chase still on, always after the thing (pursue a dream, pursue a career). If you stop trying, you give up; if you keep going after it, you pursue it.
Examples
give up
- Many give up just before things turn around.
- She refused to give up on the project.
- They gave up the chase when the trail went cold.
pursue
- He chose to pursue medicine despite the odds.
- They pursued every lead until the case broke.
- She pursued her goal with relentless energy.
They are opposites of motivation: give up ends the effort, pursue keeps it alive. The choice between them is the choice between sitting down and pressing on.
FAQ
- What is the difference between give up and pursue?
- They are opposites. Give up is to stop trying and surrender the chase (give up trying). Pursue is to keep going after a goal with effort (pursue a dream). One stops the chase; the other keeps it running.
- Are give up and pursue opposites?
- Yes — give up ends the effort, while pursue keeps chasing the goal.
- Can give up and pursue be used interchangeably?
- No — they are opposite. Give up the goal means stop; pursue the goal means press on.
- What is the opposite of pursue?
- To give up, abandon, or drop. Pursue keeps after a goal; give up stops trying for it.
- Why are give up and pursue paired?
- They are the two responses to a goal still out of reach: give up and stop, or pursue and keep going.
- What are the noun forms?
- Pursue gives pursuit; give up has no noun of its own, the nearest being 'surrender'.