quit

verb

\ ˈkwit

quit also quitted; quitting

Definition of quit

(Entry 1 of 3)

transitive verb

1a : give up sense 1 quit a job

b : give up sense 2 quit smoking

c : to depart from or out of

d : to leave the company of

2 : to make full payment of : pay up quit a debt

3 : to set free : relieve, release quit oneself of fear

4 : conduct, acquit the youths quit themselves like men

intransitive verb

1 : to give up employment

2 : to cease normal, expected, or necessary action the engine quit

3 : to admit defeat : give up

quit

adjective

Definition of quit (Entry 2 of 3)

: released from obligation, charge, or penalty especially : free

quit

noun

Definition of quit (Entry 3 of 3)

: the act or an instance of quitting a job

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Is it quit or resign? More Example Sentences Learn More about quit

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Choose the Right Synonym for quit

Verb

stop, cease, quit, discontinue, desist mean to suspend or cause to suspend activity. stop applies to action or progress or to what is operating or progressing and may imply suddenness or definiteness. stopped at the red light cease applies to states, conditions, or existence and may add a suggestion of gradualness and a degree of finality. by nightfall the fighting had ceased quit may stress either finality or abruptness in stopping or ceasing. the engine faltered, sputtered, then quit altogether discontinue applies to the stopping of an accustomed activity or practice. we have discontinued the manufacture of that item desist implies forbearance or restraint as a motive for stopping or ceasing. desisted from further efforts to persuade them

Is it quit or resign?

Adjective

Should you quit or should you resign from your job? No matter which one you choose, it is likely that both of these actions will have the exact same effect on your future, as they are, in this sense, fairly synonymous. However, each is more likely to be found used in specific settings, so you may wish to choose your word with care. Resign is more formal, and will often be found when a person is describing relinquishing a position or office, especially if it is done in disgrace. While it would not be incorrect to say that a member of an organization's board, a king or queen, or a political leader "quit their position," it is more likely that the word resign would be employed.

Examples of quit in a Sentence

Verb

She quit college after one semester. She decided to quit show business. He quit teaching after five years. Many workers are quitting because of poor pay. She hates her job and she's thinking about quitting. She quit smoking years ago. I wish you would quit bothering her. We're going to quit for the day. It's too hot to keep working.

Adjective

I am finally quit of that terrible task.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Three weeks ago, the struggle to get air became so bad that Frior quit vaping. — Cindy Krischer Goodman, sun-sentinel.com, "Vaping triggers health issues for Florida teens," 31 Aug. 2019 Hafley also pounded home that point Tuesday -- quit calling him an NFL guy. — Doug Lesmerises, cleveland.com, "Ohio State’s new defense is simple for the right people, confusing for others," 29 Aug. 2019 When Mattis quit last December, a number of pundits fulfilled their word counts and airtime quotas worrying what would happen now that the last grownup had finally left the White House. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Twilight of the “Adults in the Room”," 29 Aug. 2019 Ruth Davidson, the party’s popular leader in Scotland and a long-standing critic of Mr Johnson, quit the next day. — The Economist, "Boris Johnson suspends Parliament, causing uproar," 29 Aug. 2019 The past half-decade has seen a number of NFL players quit the sport earlier than expected due to concerns over long-term health. — Robert O'connell, The Atlantic, "Andrew Luck Chooses Himself Over the NFL," 26 Aug. 2019 First, the mean home-schoolers quit gymnastics — presumably to devote their lives to torture ministry — and in their place came a new group of nicer girls who went to regular school and would never think of stealing used underwear. — Rebecca Schuman, Longreads, "I’ll Be Loving You Forever," 14 Aug. 2019 People with fit mindsets tend to overemphasize their initial feelings, search for perfection, and quit when the going gets tough. — Brad Stulberg, Outside Online, "We've Reached Peak Wellness. Most of It Is Nonsense.," 8 Aug. 2019 Alli Donner, who was a team leader this past season, quit in November because the team was already dancing less. — Jordyn Noennig, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee Bucks Dancers are being replaced with the gender-inclusive 414 Crew. Former members say it's a 'slap in the face.'," 24 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

By then, Lord Bell had quit, blaming the company’s woes on other executives. — The Economist, "Tim Bell, the founding father of fake news," 29 Aug. 2019 Even after calling things quits, both Kardashian and Jenner appear to be on friendly terms with their exes. — Maria Pasquini, PEOPLE.com, "Kourtney Kardashian & Kendall Jenner Party with Exes Younes Bendjima, Luka Sabbat & Ben Simmons," 24 Aug. 2019 If Quaider is ready to call it quits, don’t be surprised if the Bruins offer him a spot in the organization, be it in a coaching, scouting or a development role . . — Kevin Paul Dupont, BostonGlobe.com, "How to improve the NHL’s product? Dress more skaters," 20 July 2019 The school’s nurse quit in June because the school hadn’t paid her since December. — Josh Verges, Twin Cities, "Costly academic turnaround takes St. Paul charter school from ‘buckets of cash’ to deep in debt," 10 July 2019 In less than two years, Martin has had one set of coaches apparently mismanage his career, and another coach quit on him. — Joseph Goodman | Jgoodman@al.com, al.com, "Transfer adventures of former Alabama prep star are new norm," 28 June 2019 On Tuesday, several key aides, including the governor’s chief of staff, quit. — New York Times, "15 Days of Fury: How Puerto Rico’s Government Collapsed," 27 July 2019 So has the availability of medication assisted treatment, such as suboxone, which can help a person quit. — Shari Rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "Marion County overdose deaths decline but that doesn't necessarily mean less drug use.," 19 July 2019 Some of the group’s 80 or so members complained when the association took no action, and one, the group’s webmaster, quit in protest, a blow since no one else knows how to update the website, Mr. Johnson says. — Cameron Mcwhirter, WSJ, "Enough With Hamilton, Say Fans of Other Founding Fathers," 23 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

quit

Definition of quit

Synonyms & Antonyms for quit

Choose the Right Synonym for quit

Is it quit or resign?

Examples of quit in a Sentence

First Known Use of quit

quit

Definition of quit

Synonyms & Antonyms for quit

Choose the Right Synonym for quit

Is it quit or resign?

Examples of quit in a Sentence

First Known Use of quit

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