give up on
InseparableThe verb and particle never split. The object always follows the whole phrase.
How to say it
Main stress lands on the first particle: give UP on. The trailing “on” reduces almost to nothing — expect a schwa, not a full vowel.
Link across the gap. The final /v/ of “give” moves onto the particle and starts its syllable: “give up” is said “gi-vup”. Pausing between the words is what makes phrasal verbs sound recited rather than spoken.
What it means
To lose faith in a person, plan or possibility.
- “Her teachers had given up on her by the third year.”
- “I'm not giving up on this yet.”
Similar: abandon, write off