give up on (someone or something)

idiom

1
: to stop trying to improve the condition of (someone)
He has gotten in trouble many times, but his parents have never given up on him.
Please don't give up on me. I promise I'll do better.
2
: to stop having hope of seeing (someone)
We'd given up on you hours ago!
3
: to stop trying to do or achieve (something)
They have given up on their plan to build a new factory.
She hasn't given up on trying to convince her husband to buy a new car.

Examples of give up on (someone or something) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
American brands were bleeding market share for many years in budget-friendly, smaller vehicles and have, more or less, decided to give up on the segment, Seabaugh says. Mark Dent, HubSpot, 27 June 2025 Meanwhile, Montag didn't give up on her musical ambitions — and fans have continued clamoring for her boundary-pushing pop music along the way. Ilana Kaplan, People.com, 26 June 2025 Some say Hollywood has given up on comedy, but comedy should never give up on Hollywood, despite better incentives being offered elsewhere. Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 23 June 2025 But don’t give up on the 2025 crew, led by offensive line coach Butch Barry, one of the top assistant coaches on the staff. Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 20 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for give up on (someone or something)

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Give up on (someone or something).” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/give%20up%20on%20%28someone%20or%20something%29. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!