quitting

From the verb quit: (⇒ conjugate)

quitting is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

quit¹ /kwɪt/   v., quit or quit•ted, quit•ting. 

1. to stop, cease, or discontinue: [no object]
   Will that noise ever quit?
   [~ + verb-ing]
   He quit smoking.
   [~ + object]
   Quit it, will you?
2. to give up or resign;
   let go;
   relinquish: [~ + object]
   She quit her job.
   [no object]
   decided to quit.
3. to depart from;
   leave (a place or person):
   [~ + object] The army quit the area as fast as it could.
4. to stop trying, struggling, or the like:
   [no object] Don't quit now; you still have a chance to win.

Idioms

[Informal.]
5. call it quits, [no object] to end an activity, relationship, etc.:
   decided to call it quits and get a divorce.

See -quit-.
-quit-, root. 

1. -quit- comes from Latin, where it has the meaning "release;
   discharge;
   let go.'' This meaning is found in such words as: acquit, quit, quite, requite, unrequited.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

quit¹  (kwit), v., quit or quit•ted, quit•ting, adj. 
v.t. 

1. to stop, cease, or discontinue:
   She quit what she was doing to help me paint the house.
2. to depart from;
   leave (a place or person):
   They quit the city for the seashore every summer.
3. to give up or resign;
   let go;
   relinquish:
   He quit his claim to the throne. She quit her job.
4. to release one's hold of (something grasped).
5. to acquit or conduct (oneself ).
6. to free or rid (oneself ): to quit oneself of doubts.
7. to clear (a debt);
   repay.

v.i. 

8. to cease from doing something;
   stop.
9. to give up or resign one's job or position:
   He keeps threatening to quit.
10. to depart or leave.
11. to stop trying, struggling, or the like;
    accept or acknowledge defeat.

adj. 

12. released from obligation, penalty, etc.;
    free, clear, or rid (usually fol. by of ):
    quit of all further responsibilities.

• Medieval Latin quittāre, quiētāre to release, discharge, Late Latin quiētare to put to rest, quiet¹
• Old French quit(t)er
• Medieval Latin quittus, by-form of quītus ( Middle English quit(e); see quite), for Latin quiētus quiet¹; (verb, verbal) Middle English quit(t)en to pay, acquit oneself
• Old French quite)
• (adjective, adjectival) Middle English quit(te) exempt, freed, acquitted of (1175–1225

quit′ta•ble, adj. 
Synonyms

• 3. surrender, release.
• 12. acquitted, discharged.

Antonyms

• 1, 8. start.
• 2. enter.

quit²  (kwit), n. 

1. Birds any of various small tropical birds.

• origin, originally Jamaican English, of uncertain origin, originally 1845–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

quit / kwɪt/ verb (quits, quitting) (quitted, quit)

1. (transitive) to depart from; leave
2. to resign; give up (a job)
3. (intransitive) (of a tenant) to give up occupancy of premises and leave them
4. to desist or cease from (something or doing something); break off
5. (transitive) to pay off (a debt); discharge or settle
6. (transitive) to conduct or acquit (oneself); comport (oneself)

adjective

1. (usually predicative) followed by of: free (from); released (from)

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French quitter, from Latin quiētus quiet; see quietus