renounce

plural renounces

1. card gamesAn act of renouncing.

present singular third person renounces · participle present renouncing · participle past renounced · past renounced

1. transitiveTo give up, resign, surrender.

   to renounce a title to land or to a throne

   1 more example

   It is terrible to think of the power of the world even in a redeemed soul. Here was a maid who had drunk of the well of grace and tasted of God's mercies, and yet there were moments when she was ready to renounce her hope.

   1902, John Buchan, The Outgoing of the Tide

   Synonyms: atsake

2. transitiveTo cast off, repudiate.

   This world I do renounce, and in your sights Shake patiently my great affliction off.

   c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi]

3. transitiveTo decline further association with someone or something, disown.

   Synonyms: disown, repudiate, abjure, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, forsay

4. transitiveTo abandon, forsake, discontinue (an action, habit, intention, etc), sometimes by open declaration.

   […] some families renounced the use of a certain praenomen which had been disgraced by one of their name […]

   1945, E[lizabeth] G[idley] Withycombe, “Introduction”, in The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page xv

   2 more examples

   His son Sidhartha had renounced material life and gone forth in search of enlightment. He received enlightment under a Bodhi tree at Gaya and became Buddha. Ashoka visited Gaya along with Upagupta and had darshan of Sambodhi.

   2012 May 18, Sri B. G. Ramesh, translated by Sri M. N. Suresh Kumar, Ashoka, Bangalore: Sapna Book House (P) Ltd., →ISBN, page 14

   Time is running out, so I renounce a spin on a Class 387 for a fast run to Paddington on another Class 800 - a shame as the weather was perfect for pictures. Even so, it's enjoyable - boy, can those trains shift under the wires.

   2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68

5. intransitiveTo make a renunciation of something.

   He of my sons who fails to make it good, / By one rebellious act renounces to my blood.

   1687, [John Dryden], “(please specify the page number)”, in The Hind and the Panther. A Poem, in Three Parts, 2nd edition, London: […] Jacob Tonson […], →OCLC

6. intransitiveTo surrender formally some right or trust.

   Dryden died without a will, and his widow having renounced, his son Charles administered on June 10.

   1870, William Dougal Christie, Memoir of John Dryden

7. intransitivecard gamesTo fail to follow suit; playing a card of a different suit when having no card of the suit led.