noun
abandon
Freedom from restraint or inhibition.
The children dance with abandon as the music grows louder.
Etymology
French abandon expresses surrender or letting go. In this noun sense, a person gives up self-restraint, allowing feeling or enjoyment to proceed freely.
More examples
- She throws herself into painting with reckless abandon.
- He laughs with the abandon of someone finally on vacation.
- The dancers' wild abandon delights the quiet audience.
Similar words
- exuberance
- Stresses overflowing energy rather than freedom from restraint.
- spontaneity
- Stresses acting naturally without planning rather than without inhibition.