relinquish

verb

1)

he relinquished control of the company

Syn:

renounce, give up/away, hand over, let go of

Ant:

retain, keep

2)

she relinquished her post

Syn:

leave, resign from, stand down from, bow out of, give up; informal quit, chuck

3)

he relinquished his pipe-smoking

Syn:

discontinue, stop, cease, give up, desist from; informal quit, kick; formal forswear

Ant:

continue

4)

she relinquished her grip

Syn:

let go of, release, loose, loosen, relax

••

relinquish, abandon, cede, surrender, waive, yield

Of all these verbs meaning to let go or give up, relinquish is the most general. It can imply anything from simply releasing one's grasp (she relinquished the wheel) to giving up control or possession reluctantly (after the defeat, he was forced to relinquish his command). Surrender also implies giving up, but usually after a struggle or show of resistance (the villagers were forced to surrender to the guerrillas). Yield is a milder synonym for surrender, implying some concession, respect, or even affection on the part of the person who is surrendering (she yielded to her mother's wishes and stayed home). Waive means to give up voluntarily a right or claim to something (she waived her right to have a lawyer present), while cede is to give up by legal transfer or according to the terms of a treaty (the French ceded the territory that is now Louisiana). If one relinquishes something finally and completely, often because of weariness or discouragement, the correct word is abandon (they were told to abandon all hope of being rescued).