quitquit /kwɪt/ ●●○ S3 verb (past tense and past participle quit, also quitted British English, present participle quitting) 
He quit his job after an argument with a colleague. I quit school at 16. She has decided to quit show business. People are now calling on the chairman to quit.2[intransitive, transitive] especially American English to stop doing something, especially something that is bad or annoying: The majority of smokers say that they would like to quit the habit. Quit it, Robby, or I’ll tell mom! We’ve done what we can. Let’s quit.quit doing something He’s been given six months to live if he doesn’t quit drinking. I wish you’d all quit complaining.► see thesaurus at stop3[intransitive, transitive] British English law to leave a house or apartment that you have been renting: The landlord gave them notice to quit the premises within seven days.4be quit of something British English formal to no longer have to suffer or be involved with something bad: The people now long to be quit of war.5[transitive] formal to leave a place: It was ten years since he had quit Russia.
WORD ORIGINquit
Origin:
1200-1300 Old French quiter, from quite ‘at rest, free of’, from Latin quietus; ➔ QUIET1VERB TABLE
quit
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | quit |
| he, she, it | quits | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | quitted |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have quitted |
| he, she, it | has quitted | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had quitted |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will quit |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have quitted |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am quitting |
| he, she, it | is quitting | |
| you, we, they | are quitting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was quitting |
| you, we, they | were quitting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been quitting |
| he, she, it | has been quitting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been quitting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be quitting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been quitting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Quit fooling around and pay attention.
- Quit that! You're driving me crazy.
- Bill was cold, hungry and tired and he wanted to quit.
- Four or five people have either quit or been fired.
- Harkness quit as director of the Olympic Regional Development Authority soon afterwards.
- I've always regretted quitting piano lessons.
- I've had enough of the way I'm treated here -- I quit!
- I quit taking the pills because they were making me put on weight.
- I knew I'd never be any good at school, so I just quit trying.
- I wish he'd quit bothering me.
- If you've smoked for a long time it can be very difficult to quit.
- She quite her job and went traveling in South America.
- She was having a lot of trouble finding a job, but she refused to quit.
- That kid just never quits moving.
- They should quit complaining and just get on with their job!
- They told me at the hospital to quit drinking for a while.
- And she blasted Tory plans to force more schools to quit town hall control.
- Guitarist John Frusciante quit, mid-tour, citing exhaustion.
- I quit cold turkey some 25 years ago, but the specialists simply shrug off this kind of information.
- James faced such intractable problems that after a few months he nearly quit.
- They want United's Directors to quit after United's fifth defeat in six games.
- With the computer business still in the doldrums, Ahmadi quit that to help his wife run the hair accessory business.
THESAURUSto leave school/college etc
especially British English to finish studying at school or college, usually at the age or time when people normally finish: · When James left school, he worked for a while with his father.· She found it hard to get a job after leaving university.
to successfully finish your studies at a college or university, or at an American high school: · Kelly graduated from Harvard with a degree in East Asian Studies.· Approximately 80% of Americans graduate from high school.
to leave school, college, or university before your course of study has finished, because you do not want to continue with it: · I failed my first year exams and decided to drop out and get a job.
American English to leave school without finishing your course of study: · He quit school at fourteen to work and help support his family.
leave your job · I left my last job because the salary was so low.· Why don’t you just leave?
to leave your job permanently because you are not happy with it: · After enduring months of harassment, Mrs Collins decided to quit her job.· I’ve told them I’m quitting.
to officially announce that you have decided to leave your job: · The company director was forced to resign over the scandal.
to write an official letter to your employer saying that you are going to leave your job on a particular date: · You have to hand in your notice at least four weeks before you leave.
to leave your job in order to stop working permanently, usually because you have reached the age when most people stop working: · After forty years of working for the bank, Karl retired in May.· He had to retire because of ill health.
to leave school/college etc especially British English to finish studying at school or college, usually at the age or time when people normally finish: · When James left school, he worked for a while with his father.· She found it hard to get a job after leaving university.
to successfully finish your studies at a college or university, or at an American high school: · Kelly graduated from Harvard with a degree in East Asian Studies.· Approximately 80% of Americans graduate from high school.
to leave school, college, or university before your course of study has finished, because you do not want to continue with it: · I failed my first year exams and decided to drop out and get a job.
American English to leave school without finishing your course of study: · He quit school at fourteen to work and help support his family.
leave your job · I left my last job because the salary was so low.· Why don’t you just leave?
to leave your job permanently because you are not happy with it: · After enduring months of harassment, Mrs Collins decided to quit her job.· I’ve told them I’m quitting.
to officially announce that you have decided to leave your job: · The company director was forced to resign over the scandal.
to write an official letter to your employer saying that you are going to leave your job on a particular date: · You have to hand in your notice at least four weeks before you leave.
to leave your job in order to stop working permanently, usually because you have reached the age when most people stop working: · After forty years of working for the bank, Karl retired in May.· He had to retire because of ill health.
to stop doing something to not do something any longer: · I wish she would stop talking.· He waited for them to stop.
especially American English informal to stop doing something: · She needs to quit complaining about her life.· It’s too late for him to quit now.
to stop doing something, especially something that you have been doing for a long time: · It’s so hard to give up smoking.· She wants to give up her job.· I’ve given up trying to tell my son to clean his room.
informal to stop doing something, especially because you feel tired or annoyed: · Sometimes I feel like packing in my job and starting again somewhere else.· Pack it in, will you! (=used when telling someone to stop doing something, because they are annoying you)
to stop taking part in something that you have agreed to take part in: · The unions have pulled out of the negotiations.· The US decided to pull out of the competition.
formal to stop doing something: · The company has decided to cease production of its film cameras.· The US government ceased talks with North Korea.
Longman Language Activatorto leave a job or organization · "Where's Marcia?" "Oh, she left last week to have her baby."· The directors did not want Daniel to leave, but they knew he could earn much more somewhere else.· I left my last job because I couldn't get along with my boss.· Chamberlain was a Cabinet Minister until he left the Liberal party in 1886.· After leaving the Navy, he started a new career in journalism.
to leave a job or organization especially because you are not happy with it, or because you think you could do better somewhere else: · I've had enough of the way I'm treated here -- I quit!· She quite her job and went traveling in South America.quit as: · Harkness quit as director of the Olympic Regional Development Authority soon afterwards.
to officially and permanently leave a job, for example because you are no longer happy with it, or because the people you work with do not think you are doing it properly: · Nixon was the first US President to resign before the end of his term of office.· I wanted to resign, but my boss persuaded me to stay.resign from: · She resigned from the board after profits fell by a further 3%.· Roberts replaces Jacob Winters, who resigned from the firm last month.resign as: · The following years, he resigned as chairman of the committee.resign your post/position: · The manager was forced to resign his post after allegations of corruption.
to permanently leave your job, usually because you have reached the age when most people stop working: · In the UK, men usually retire in their late 50s or early 60s.· If you retire at 50, you won't get your full pension.retire from: · When Jean retired from modelling, she moved to Cornwall.· Jim Rutland retired from the Navy last year.retire as: · He retired as Principal ten years ago, but still does a lot of fund-raising for the school.
to write an official letter to your employer saying that you are going to leave your job on a particular date: · You have to hand in your notice at least four weeks before you leave.· The Foreign Minister officially handed in his resignation on December 11th.
British informal to leave your job, especially because you are bored with it: · Look if it's such a boring job, why don't you just jack it in?· Sometimes I feel like packing it all in and going off on a round-the-world trip.
what you say when you tell someone to stop doing something spoken · Stop what you're doing when the buzzer sounds.stop doing something · Will you please stop talking and listen to me!stop it/that · Stop it! You're hurting me.
American spoken say this to tell someone to stop doing something because it annoys you: quit it/that: · Quit that! You're driving me crazy.· I hated the way she was teasing me. "Quit it!'' I said.quit doing something: · Quit fooling around and pay attention.
also pack it in British use this to tell someone to stop doing something because it annoys you: · Come on, you two, cut it out!· Just cut it out, Jim. Stop acting like a kid.· Oh, pack it in you lot, or we're going straight home.
say this when you want someone to stop doing or saying something that is annoying you: · Look, I don't want to argue with you, so just lay off.· Lay off the swearing, if you don't mind.· Hey, lay off Vinnie, will you? He hasn't done you any harm.
to stop doing something without successfully completing it to stop trying to do something because it is too difficult or because you are not determined enough: · I made several attempts to repair the damage, but gave up in the end.· Come on, don't give up yet!give up something: · We will never give up our struggle.give up doing something: · I've given up trying to get her to change her mind.give something up: · We did start a protest, but gave it up when we realized we would never be successful.
especially American to stop doing something before you have successfully completed it: · Bill was cold, hungry and tired and he wanted to quit.· She was having a lot of trouble finding a job, but she refused to quit.quit doing something: · I knew I'd never be any good at school, so I just quit trying.
to stop doing something that you had planned or started, because there are too many other problems involved: · The government has now abandoned its plans to privatize parts of the health service.· All attempts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict have now been abandoned.· Owing to rough weather, the coast guard had been forced to abandon the search.
to stop doing something that you have already started or that you intended to do: · Because of strong opposition, the government has dropped plans to increase taxes on fuel.drop everything: · I'm too busy to just drop everything and go out for the day.
informal to stop doing something because you are satisfied that you have done enough: · We've got most of the heavy work done, so I think we can leave it at that for today.
to stop a bad or unhealthy habit · She had smoked for nearly twenty years before she finally managed to stop.stop doing something · The health advice to people is simple - stop eating so much fat and eat more fruit and vegetables.
informal to stop doing something that that has been an unhealthy or harmful habit: · If you've smoked for a long time it can be very difficult to quit.quit doing something: · They told me at the hospital to quit drinking for a while.· I quit taking the pills because they were making me put on weight.
to stop doing something such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or taking drugs because it is harmful or unhealthy: · If you smoke, try to give up or at least cut down.· She gave up drinking over 10 years ago.
informal to stop doing something that has been a habit for a long time, especially a bad or dangerous habit: · The centre provides help for addicts who have kicked their habit and want to stay away from drugs.· Some smokers use hypnosis to help them kick the habit.
to stop taking medicine or drugs that you have been taking regularly: · The doctor told me I could come off the drugs six months after the operation.· People need help to come off hard drugs like heroin and cocaine.
if a child grows out of a habit, he or she stops doing it as they get older: grow out of it: · Wetting the bed is a common problem, but children nearly always grow out of it.· He became obsessed with football at the age of four, and he's never grown out of it!
to stop doing something to no longer do something that you had been doing: · He wrote quickly, but from time to time he stopped and looked out of the window.stop doing something: · I stopped reading and turned out the light.· Please will you all stop making so much noise!stop what you are doing: · Could you stop what you are doing and pay attention, please?stop for lunch/coffee/a break etc: · What time do you want to stop for lunch?
to stop doing something because you have completed it: · She spoke for ten minutes, and when she had finished the audience cheered.· We should have finished the job by next week.finish doing something: · Have you finished reading the papers?· After you've finished painting the house you can start on the garage.
especially American, spoken to stop doing something, especially something that annoys other people: quit doing something: · I wish he'd quit bothering me.· They should quit complaining and just get on with their job!
formal to stop doing something: · All conversation ceased as the two police officers entered.· The factory has now ceased production and will close next month.cease doing something: · The mill ceased operating commercially two years ago.cease to do something: · Many of these firms have now ceased to exist.
WORD SETSabsenteeism, nounarticled clerk, black economy, nounbloodletting, nounblue-collar, adjectivebook-keeper, nounboss, nounbusiness agent, career path, nouncareer structure, nounCFO, Chartered Financial Consultant, nounCIO, co-manager, nouncommercial agent, company car, nouncompany doctor, company officer, competence, nouncompliance officer, co-worker, nouncreative director, curriculum vitae, nounCV, noundeputy chairman, deskill, verbdismiss, verbdowngrade, verbdownsize, verbearn, verbearner, nounemploy, verbemployable, adjectiveemployee, nounemployer, nounemployment agency, nounengage, verbenrolled agent, escrow agent, executive chairman, filing clerk, fill-in, nounfull-time, adjectiveheadhunter, nounhealth and safety, nounhuman resources, nounjob application, job centre, nounjobless, adjectivelabour exchange, nounledger clerk, moonlight, verbnatural wastage, nounnepotism, nounnetworking, nounnine to five, adverbnumber-cruncher, nounoccupational, adjectiveoff, adverboff-duty, adjectiveoperative, nounoutwork, nounoverseer, nounoverstaffed, adjectivepenalty clause, nounpension fund, nounpension plan, nounpersonnel, nounpiecework, nounpositive discrimination, nounpost, nounpreferment, nounproject engineer, qualification, nounqualify, verbquit, verbrecommendation, nounrecruit, verbredeploy, verbredundancy, nounredundant, adjectivereferee, nounreference, nounreinstate, verbresearch manager, resign, verbresignation, nounresume, nounretired, adjectiveretiree, nounretirement, nounself-employed, adjectivesharecropper, nounshift, nounskilled, adjectivetechnical analyst, testimonial, nountime and motion study, nountrainee, nountransfer agent, underemployed, adjectiveundermanned, adjectiveunderstaffed, adjectiveunemployable, adjectiveunemployed, adjectiveunemployment, noununemployment benefit, noununskilled, adjectivevacancy, nounvacant, adjectivewhite-collar, adjectiveworkday, nounwork experience, nounworkforce, nounworking papers, nounworkweek, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The landlord gave them notice to quit the premises within seven days.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES the story of a couple who quit the rat race I gave up smoking nearly ten years ago.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
1[intransitive, transitive] informal to leave a job, school etc, especially without finishing it completely: The landlord gave them notice to quit the premises within seven days.· Oh, Rick, you didn’t quit your job, did you?
British English (=a warning that you must leave the house or flat where you live by a particular date)· The new owner gave all the tenants notice to quit.
the story of a couple who quit the rat race I gave up smoking nearly ten years ago.· We never quit and he never lets us.
NOUN· Instead of quitting the music business she should have learned to use it for singing rather than mouthing off at every opportunity.· And she said Tipper had quit the newspaper business finally but would be on tap, and he was.· All this raises the question of why the Reagan administration wants to quit the business of satellites in the first place.
· If the defendant makes a payment into court, the plaintiff may seize it and call quits.
· Diana's decision to quit Highgrove leaves Charles free to drive the short distance to Middlewick whenever he likes.· Your decision to quit smoking will make you less susceptible to a number of diseases.· The death of his wife in 1849 was probably a decisive factor in Hill's decision to quit.· And Bryan Gould could well survive despite his unsuccessful leadership challenge and decision to quit the shadow cabinet.· Mr Fujimori was in Tokyo, where he arrived last week, when he told ministers of his decision to quit.· He has denied the decision to quit is linked to the Hagans case.
· Tony Myler returns for Widnes tomorrow - a month after he nearly quit the game.· Would they quit in this game?
· Jill quit the habit shortly before Christmas.· Nearly half of 16-24-year-old smokers questioned in a survey said they were going to quit the habit in the New Year.· The study has shown that those who quit the habit also avoided most of the risk of death from tobacco.· The cash will support programs aimed at helping smokers quit the habit.
· The twentysomethings of the X generation may be more predisposed to quitting a job and drifting.· Their husbands say they will quit their jobs later, if the business proves a winner.· But following the ordeal, he's decided to quit his job.· The woman quits her job and her lover supports her financially.· Mr Delors is now likely to come under pressure to quit his Pounds 120,000-a-year job as commission president.· Obviously, you do not need to quit your job because of these fears.· She quit her job as manager of the Automoto Insurance Company.· Neither will have quit jobs, left families or lugged belongings across the country.
· The landlord served an invalid notice to quit which does not affect the situation.· There Gandhi was served with an official notice to quit Champaran immediately.· They do not give anyone a notice to quit.· Tenants who refuse to accept leases are given notice to quit and find themselves on the streets after years of loyal service.· The tenants have been given a year's notice to quit and they face the loss of their livelihood and homes.· The plaintiff, a tenant of the defendant, was served with a notice to quit and refused to leave.· The house was sold very quickly and the new owner immediately gave us all notice to quit.· Notice to quit Landlords are normally required to give twenty-eight days' written notice to quit.
· You should either enter a package or product which has not been created previously or quit the option.· You should enter the name of a product which has not been registered previously or quit the option.· You should enter a package name which is not currently approved or quit the option.
· Councillor Bob Cairns, Edinburgh's planning convenor, quit his post as Labour group vice-chairman in protest.· Jim Groff will quit a post in education marketing, and Don Strickland will vacate a job in government sales.· When the motion was rejected, they quit their posts.· First, he quit a post on the Texas Railroad Commission to accept an appointment from then-Gov.· Villagers accused the police of raping the sisters and killing them before quitting the post.
· That gap had not changed since a poll was conducted shortly before Dole announced he was quitting the Senate.
· Now Bruce, one of the game's greatest characters, may have to quit Anfield in search of first team football.· He played extremely well for several weeks, and then, for no apparent reason, quit the team.· As a boy he had quit many things-the basketball team, the Episcopal youth group and always enjoyed the experience.· Walk-on Barry Kurnik quit the team after playing in five games.· Two other players, junior center Steve Walston and freshman forward Silester Rivers, quit the team during the season.· Barry Kurnik, a walk-on transfer, quit the team.· Gardner was a football walk-on at Nebraska, but quit the team in order to concentrate on wrestling.· He quit the team for a week last season and is expected to make $ 1. 98 million.
· Hendricks give him a job to help him get out and the boy worked one week and quit.· The next week he quit again.
VERB· Unhappy with the working environment, she decided to quit the job to pursue her interest in alternative therapy.· The editor of the school paper and a number of other students decided to quit Rollins as well.· Both have decided to quit after this series and take their chances in the job market together.· She had begun the Standing as an Easter observance, and with the paschal season over she had decided to quit.· It was during that period that I finally decided to quit.· Stein now decided to quit the fight, though Fisher continued to oppose the amendment.· But following the ordeal, he's decided to quit his job.· Suddenly, definitely, he decided to quit, turn back, go home, leave everything until tomorrow.
· And she blasted Tory plans to force more schools to quit town hall control.· With his virtually unlimited bankroll, Forbes could stay in the race long after other candidates are forced to quit.· The report identified how she was forced to quit her secretarial job and how she suffered a breakdown.· The student ultimately was forced to quit the university.· But he was forced to quit college to find work.· Several days later he was forced to quit.· He had studied to be a vet but lack of finances had forced him to quit and he became a blacksmith.
· It will help adult smokers to quit.· The cash will support programs aimed at helping smokers quit the habit.
· And tell it to quit talking at me.· I told him twice to quit it.· Trailing that problem like a rattling caboose was the need to tell Spider he was quitting.· Because I like things in pairs, I told him I would quit for two months, for two thousand dollars.· Anyway they told me to quit drinking for a while.· It had been repeatedly told to quit it by the Federal Aviation Administration.
· After receiving the proposals and before responding, Mr Adamec had gone on national television on Wednesday night to threaten to quit.· Getting out: Redgrave threatens to quit over sponsorship.· Several generals reportedly threatened to quit if he got the job.
· All three started smoking as teens, smoked for decades, and claimed to have tried unsuccessfully to quit.· As you are trying to quit, you must remember that you are addicted to a drug.· She had tried to quit several times.
· All this raises the question of why the Reagan administration wants to quit the business of satellites in the first place.· She tells her sister that she wants to quit, right now, tonight.· Sometimes you want to just walk away from the job, you want to quit.· Finally he stood up and cooled his granddaughters down, ending the fun before they wanted to quit.· Everybody wants to quit now and then.· I wanted to quit my job.
He quit his job after an argument with a colleague. I quit school at 16. She has decided to quit show business. People are now calling on the chairman to quit.2[intransitive, transitive] especially American English to stop doing something, especially something that is bad or annoying: The majority of smokers say that they would like to quit the habit. Quit it, Robby, or I’ll tell mom! We’ve done what we can. Let’s quit.quit doing something He’s been given six months to live if he doesn’t quit drinking. I wish you’d all quit complaining.► see thesaurus at stop3[intransitive, transitive] British English law to leave a house or apartment that you have been renting: The landlord gave them notice to quit the premises within seven days.4be quit of something British English formal to no longer have to suffer or be involved with something bad: The people now long to be quit of war.5[transitive] formal to leave a place: It was ten years since he had quit Russia.- streetcar
- Streetcar Named Desire, A
- street children
- street cred
- street-credible
- streetlight
- street people
- street-smart
- street smarts
- street value
- streetwalker
- streetwise
- Streisand, Barbra
- strength
- strengthen
- strenuous
- strenuously
- strep throat
- streptococcus
- stress
- stressed
- stressful
- bullseye
- bullshit
- bullshitter