I would rather die than relinquish my virginity before marriage.
Source: tatoeba (2491955)
Relinquish
/ɹɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ/
Synonyms for "relinquish" (183 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (37)
Strong matches (55)
Related words (91)
hand overhave done withholdimplore mercykisskiss good byekiss good-byeknock it offlay asidelay downlay offleaveleave offlet golooselosemake a sacrificenol-prosnot pursue withpart
Show 44 more words
part withpension offpray for quarterpullput behind onequitquitclaimrecantrefrainreleaserenderrender uprenouncerenounce the throneresignretireretire from officeretractridsacrificesay unclescrubshedsignsparestand asidestand downstaystep asidestopsuccumbsuperannuatesurrenderswear offterminatethrowthrow upturn upunloosevacatewaivewithdraw fromyieldyield the palm
Noun(10 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: renounce, abandon, abandon, abandoned, abandons.
- Sentence evidence is available for relinquish, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, moby, derived_reverse, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "relinquish".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "relinquish"
Keep "relinquish" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "relinquish" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "relinquish", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "relinquish" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
13 entriesMore specific
11 entriesCollocations
6 entriesInflections
3 entriesDerivations
5 entriesTranslations
65 translations across 26 languages.
Bulgarian
2 entries- изоставям verb (to give up, abandon)
- напускам verb (to give up, abandon)
Catalan
4 entries- abandonar verb (to give up, abandon)
- cedir verb (to give up, abandon)
- deixar verb (to give up, abandon)
- derelinquir verb (to give up, abandon)
Dutch
4 entries- afstand doen van verb (to give up, abandon)
- loslaten verb (to give up, abandon)
- opgeven verb (to give up, abandon)
- verzaken verb (to give up, abandon)
Esperanto
1 entries- abandoni verb (to give up, abandon)
Finnish
2 entries- luopua verb (to give up, abandon)
- luovuttaa verb (to give up, abandon)
French
4 entries- abandonner verb (to give up, abandon)
- céder verb (to give up, abandon)
- délaisser verb (to give up, abandon)
- relinquir verb (to give up, abandon)
German
3 entries- aufgeben verb (to give up, abandon)
- verlassen verb (to give up, abandon)
- überlassen verb (to give up, abandon)
Hungarian
2 entries- felad verb (to give up, abandon)
- lemond verb (to give up, abandon)
Irish
1 entries- tabhair suas verb (to give up, abandon)
Italian
4 entries- abbandonare verb (to give up, abandon)
- cedere verb (to give up, abandon)
- lasciare verb (to give up, abandon)
- relinquere verb (to give up, abandon)
Japanese
1 entries- 放棄する verb (to give up, abandon)
Korean
1 entries- 포기하다 verb (to give up, abandon)
Latin
1 entries- relinquō verb (to give up, abandon)
Māori
1 entries- tuku verb (to give up, abandon)
Norwegian
1 entries- gi opp verb (to give up, abandon)
Ottoman Turkish
1 entries- براقمق verb (to give up, abandon)
Polish
1 entries- porzucać verb (to give up, abandon)
Portuguese
4 entries- abandonar verb (to give up, abandon)
- ceder verb (to give up, abandon)
- deixar verb (to give up, abandon)
- desistir de verb (to give up, abandon)
Romanian
1 entries- lepăda verb (to give up, abandon)
Russian
2 entries- оставлять verb (to give up, abandon)
- отказываться verb (to give up, abandon)
Sanskrit
1 entries- रिणक्ति verb (to give up, abandon)
Serbo-Croatian
2 entries- odstupiti verb (to give up, abandon)
- prepustiti verb (to give up, abandon)
Slovak
1 entries- odstúpiť verb (to give up, abandon)
Spanish
4 entries- abandonar verb (to give up, abandon)
- ceder verb (to give up, abandon)
- dejar verb (to give up, abandon)
- derelinquir verb (to give up, abandon)
Thai
1 entries- สละ verb (to give up, abandon)
Turkish
4 entries- bırakmak verb (to give up, abandon)
- el çekmek verb (to give up, abandon)
- elini çekmek verb (to give up, abandon)
- feragat etmek verb (to give up, abandon)
Sample sentences
13 total sentences available.
They will never relinquish power willingly.
Source: tatoeba (8860368)
Power is a drug which few ever manage to relinquish.
Source: tatoeba (8972098)
They will relinquish power and dismantle the single-party state.
Source: tatoeba (10722125)
Showing 4 of 13 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "relinquish"?
Closest matches include renounce, abandon, abandon, abandoned, abandons.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "relinquish"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.