Abandon — A Vocabulary Story
The Lighthouse on Skellig Point
Kai pedalled hard along the cliff path in western Ireland, salt wind stinging his cheeks. His cousin Tatyana raced beside him, her red coat flapping like a flag.
"Don't abandon me on the hill again," she shouted, laughing.
Abandon means to leave something behind or give up completely.
They were searching for the old lighthouse keeper, Francis, who had promised to show them a peregrine falcon's nest. When they reached the rocky point, however, the cottage door swung loose on its hinges. Inside, the kettle was cold and a half-eaten sandwich sat on the table.
"He wouldn't just abandon his post," Kai murmured. Francis had tended the lamp for thirty years and often said he'd never abandon the birds, the boats, or the bread he was baking.
Tatyana spotted footprints leading toward the cliff edge. They followed cautiously, refusing to abandon the trail even as drizzle began to fall. Halfway down a narrow gully, they found Francis, his ankle twisted beneath a slab of granite.
"Thank goodness," he croaked. "I thought you'd abandon the visit when the weather turned."
Kai dialled the coastguard while Tatyana wrapped her coat around the old man's shoulders. The wind tried to abandon their voices to the sea, but the call connected.
Within an hour, a yellow helicopter thudded overhead, and Francis was lifted gently into the sky, waving at the two children below.
Word Definition
abandon
meaning
to leave something behind or give up completely
synonyms
indulge · desert · relinquish · surrender · renounce
antonyms
keep · retain · maintain
example sentence
The crew had to abandon the sinking ship before it went under.