Basic Details
Word: Abandoned
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Left behind by its owner and no longer used, lived in or looked after.
Synonyms: deserted, forsaken, neglected
Antonyms: cherished, occupied
How to Spell Abandoned
Syllables: a - ban - doned
Tricky part: Abandon does not double its n before ed. The beat falls on ban, not on don, so the last n stays single.
Watch out for: abandonned, abbandoned, abandened
Memory tip: Break it into a + band + on + ed. Picture a brass band marching on a boy called Ed who has been left behind.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The kitten was found in an abandoned carton near the bus stand.
Example 2: An abandoned bicycle has been rusting outside our building since Diwali.
Example 3: Nobody has lived in the abandoned haveli at the end of the lane for years.
Fun Fact
Abandon comes from the Old French phrase a bandon, meaning under someone else's control. To abandon something once meant handing it over to another person's power.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
abandonned
a) o
b) n
c) a
d) d
Show answer
b) n. No doubling here: the stress is on ban, so don keeps a single n before ed.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) abandoned
b) embarased
c) disapointed
d) ocurred
Show answer
a) abandoned. Embarrassed, disappointed and occurred each need a double letter they have lost; abandoned is complete.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word:
abandoned
a) deserted
b) cherished
c) crowded
d) hidden
Show answer
a) deserted. An abandoned fort and a deserted fort are the same thing: everyone has gone.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
nedabonda
a) abandoned
b) bandaged
c) abandons
d) abounded
Show answer
a) abandoned. Only abandoned uses all nine letters, with both n's and both d's.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. The sailors abandoned the sinking ship. This means they ____.
a) left it
b) repaired it
c) painted it
d) bought it
Show answer
a) left it
2. A project that is abandoned halfway is ____.
a) done twice
b) stopped and never finished
c) praised by everyone
d) finished early
Show answer
b) stopped and never finished
