Quit vs. Leave — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 21, 2024
Quit implies a deliberate decision to stop an activity or job, often with finality, while leave can mean departing temporarily or permanently from a place or situation.
Difference Between Quit and Leave
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Quit signifies a conscious and often decisive action to stop doing something, typically with no intention to return. This term is commonly used in the context of employment, habits, or activities, highlighting a sense of finality or resolution. On the other hand, leave can refer to both temporary and permanent departures from a location, situation, or activity. It does not inherently carry the same finality as quit and can imply an intention to return.
When someone quits a job, it means they have resigned and will not be coming back to that position. This decision is often driven by dissatisfaction, a better opportunity, or personal reasons. In contrast, when someone leaves a job, it can mean either a temporary absence, such as taking a break or vacation, or a permanent departure. The context usually clarifies the nature of the departure.
Quit is also used to describe giving up on a habit or activity, such as quitting smoking or quitting a sports team. This implies a determination to stop the action entirely. Leave, however, can suggest merely stepping away from an activity, possibly with the intention of resuming it later.
The connotations of quit often involve a personal choice and a clear decision to end involvement. Leave can be voluntary or involuntary and might not always imply a permanent end. For instance, someone can leave a meeting temporarily or leave a party early, suggesting a more flexible and less definitive departure.
Comparison Chart
Definition
To stop doing something permanently
To go away from a place or situation
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Context
Often used in employment and habits
Used in various contexts, both temporary and permanent
Finality
Implies a definitive end
Can be temporary or permanent
Volition
Usually a personal, voluntary decision
Can be voluntary or involuntary
Usage Example
Quit smoking, quit a job
Leave a job, leave the house
Compare with Definitions
Quit
To abandon a habit or activity.
He quit the team after the coach left.
Leave
To depart temporarily or permanently.
He will leave for vacation next week.
Quit
To give up or discontinue.
She quit the project due to lack of time.
Leave
To exit or go out.
The meeting ended, and everyone left the room.
Quit
To end participation or involvement.
He quit the game after an injury.
Leave
Go away from
The England team left for Pakistan on Monday
We were almost the last to leave
She left London on June 6
Quit
To cease or discontinue
Asked them to quit talking.
Quit smoking.
Leave
Allow or cause to remain
The parts he disliked he would alter and the parts he didn't dislike he'd leave
Quit
To resign from or relinquish
Quit a job.
Leave
Cause (someone or something) to be in a particular state or position
I'll leave the door open
He'll leave you in no doubt about what he thinks
The children were left with feelings of loss
Quit
To depart from; leave
"You and I are on the point of quitting the theater of our exploits" (Horatio Nelson).
Leave
(of a plant) put out new leaves
Trees leaved, wild flowers burst in profusion on the far side of the lake
Quit
To leave the company of
Had to quit the gathering in order to be home by midnight.
Leave
(in snooker, croquet, and other games) the position in which a player leaves the balls for the next player.
Quit
(Computers) To exit (an application).
Leave
Time when one has permission to be absent from work or from duty in the armed forces
Joe was home on leave
Maternity leave
Quit
To rid oneself of by paying
Quit a debt.
Leave
Permission
Leave from the court to commence an action
Quit
To release from a burden or responsibility.
Leave
To go out of or away from
Not allowed to leave the room.
Quit
(Archaic) To conduct (oneself) in a specified way
Quit yourselves like adults.
Leave
To go without taking or removing
Left my book on the bus.
Quit
To cease an action or cease working properly; stop
The car quit on the hill.
Leave
To omit or exclude
Left out the funniest part of the story.
Quit
To abandon an activity out of frustration or despair; give up
Saw that he would never get the part and quit.
Leave
To have as a result, consequence, or remainder
The car left a trail of exhaust fumes. Two from eight leaves six.
Quit
To resign from or leave a job.
Leave
To cause or allow to be or remain in a specified state
Left the lights on.
Quit
Absolved of a duty or an obligation; free.
Leave
To have remaining after death
Left a young son.
Quit
(usually followed by of) Released from obligation, penalty, etc; free, clear, or rid.
Leave
To bequeath
Left her money to charity.
Quit
To pay (a debt, fine etc.).
Leave
To give over to another to control or act on
Leave all the details to us.
Quit
To repay (someone) for (something).
Leave
To abandon or forsake
Leave home.
Left her husband.
Quit
To repay, pay back (a good deed, injury etc.).
Leave
To remove oneself from association with or participation in
Left the navy for civilian life.
Quit
To conduct or acquit (oneself); to behave (in a specified way).
Leave
To give or deposit, as for use or information, upon one's departure or in one's absence
He left a note for you. Leave your name and address.
Quit
To carry through; to go through to the end.
Leave
To cause or permit to be or remain
Left myself plenty of time.
Quit
(transitive) To set at rest; to free, as from anything harmful or oppressive; to relieve; to clear; to liberate.
Leave
(Nonstandard) To allow or permit; let.
Quit
(transitive) To release from obligation, accusation, penalty, etc.; to absolve; to acquit.
Leave
To set out or depart; go
When can you leave?.
Quit
(transitive) To abandon, renounce (a thing).
Leave
To put forth foliage; leaf.
Quit
(transitive) To leave (a place).
Leave
Permission to do something.
Quit
To resign from (a job, office, position, etc.).
After having to work overtime without being paid, I quit my job.
Leave
An act of departing; a farewell
Took leave of her with a heavy heart.
Quit
To stop, give up (an activity) (usually + gerund or verbal noun).
John is planning to quit smoking.
Leave
See leave of absence.
Quit
To close (an application).
Leave
To have a consequence or remnant.
Quit
Any of numerous species of small passerine birds native to tropical America.
Leave
(transitive) To cause or allow (something) to remain as available; to refrain from taking (something) away; to stop short of consuming or otherwise depleting (something) entirely.
I left my car at home and took a bus to work.
The ants did not leave so much as a crumb of bread.
There's not much food left. We'd better go to the shops.
Quit
Any one of numerous species of small passerine birds native of tropical America. See Banana quit, under Banana, and Guitguit.
Leave
To cause, to result in.
The lightning left her dazzled for several minutes.
Infantile paralysis left him lame for the rest of his life.
She left disappointed.
Quit
Released from obligation, charge, penalty, etc.; free; clear; absolved; acquitted.
The owner of the ox shall be quit.
Leave
(transitive) To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver, with a sense of withdrawing oneself.
Leave your hat in the hall.
We should leave the legal matters to lawyers.
I left my sewing and went to the window to watch the falling snow.
Quit
To set at rest; to free, as from anything harmful or oppressive; to relieve; to clear; to liberate.
To quit you of this fear, you have already looked Death in the face; what have you found so terrible in it?
Leave
To depart; to separate from.
Quit
To release from obligation, accusation, penalty, or the like; to absolve; to acquit.
There may no gold them quyte.
God will relent, and quit thee all his debt.
Leave
To let be or do without interference.
I left him to his reflections.
I leave my hearers to judge.
Quit
To discharge, as an obligation or duty; to meet and satisfy, as a claim or debt; to make payment for or of; to requite; to repay.
The blissful martyr quyte you your meed.
Enkindle all the sparks of natureTo quit this horrid act.
Before that judge that quits each soul his hire.
Leave
(transitive) To depart from; to end one's connection or affiliation with.
I left the country and I left my wife.
Quit
To meet the claims upon, or expectations entertained of; to conduct; to acquit; - used reflexively.
Be strong, and quit yourselves like men.
Samson hath quit himselfLike Samson.
Leave
(transitive) To end one's membership in (a group); to terminate one's affiliation with (an organization); to stop participating in (a project).
I left the band.
Quit
To carry through; to go through to the end.
Never worthy prince a day did quitWith greater hazard and with more renown.
Leave
(intransitive) To depart; to go away from a certain place or state.
I think you'd better leave.
Quit
To have done with; to cease from; to stop; hence, to depart from; to leave; to forsake; as, to quit work; to quit the place; to quit jesting.
Such a superficial way of examining is to quit truth for appearance.
Does not the earth quit scores with all the elements in the noble fruits that issue from it?
Leave
To transfer something.
Quit
To go away; to depart; to stop doing a thing; to cease.
Leave
(transitive) To transfer possession of after death.
When my father died, he left me the house.
Quit
Put an end to a state or an activity;
Quit teasing your little brother
Leave
(transitive) To give (something) to someone; to deliver (something) to a repository; to deposit.
I'll leave the car in the station so you can pick it up there.
Quit
Give up or retire from a position;
The Secretary fo the Navy will leave office next month
The chairman resigned over the financial scandal
Leave
(transitive) To transfer responsibility or attention of (something) (to someone); to stop being concerned with.
Can't we just leave this to the experts?
Quit
Go away or leave
Leave
To remain (behind); to stay.
Quit
Turn away from; give up;
I am foreswearing women forever
Leave
To stop, desist from; to "leave off" (+ noun / gerund).
Quit
Give up in the face of defeat of lacking hope; admit defeat;
In the second round, the challenger gave up
Leave
(transitive) To give leave to; allow; permit; let; grant.
We were not left go to the beach after school except on a weekend.
Quit
To stop doing something completely.
He decided to quit smoking for his health.
Leave
To produce leaves or foliage.
Quit
To resign from a job or position.
She quit her job to pursue higher education.
Leave
(obsolete) To raise; to levy.
Leave
(cricket) The action of the batsman not attempting to play at the ball.
Leave
(billiards) The arrangement of balls in play that remains after a shot is made (which determines whether the next shooter — who may be either the same player, or an opponent — has good options, or only poor ones).
Leave
Permission to be absent; time away from one's work.
I've been given three weeks' leave by my boss.
Leave
Permission.
Might I beg leave to accompany you?
The applicant now seeks leave to appeal and, if leave be granted, to appeal against these sentences.
Leave
(dated) Farewell, departure.
I took my leave of the gentleman without a backward glance.
Leave
To send out leaves; to leaf; - often with out.
Leave
To raise; to levy.
An army strong she leaved.
Leave
To withdraw one's self from; to go away from; to depart from; as, to leave the house.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.
Leave
To let remain unremoved or undone; to let stay or continue, in distinction from what is removed or changed.
If grape gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes ?
These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Besides it leaveth a suspicion, as if more might be said than is expressed.
Leave
To cease from; to desist from; to abstain from.
Now leave complaining and begin your tea.
Leave
To desert; to abandon; to forsake; hence, to give up; to relinquish.
Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.
The heresies that men do leave.
Leave
To let be or do without interference; as, I left him to his reflections; I leave my hearers to judge.
I will leave you now to your gossiplike humor.
Leave
To put; to place; to deposit; to deliver; to commit; to submit - with a sense of withdrawing one's self from; as, leave your hat in the hall; we left our cards; to leave the matter to arbitrators.
Leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way.
The footThat leaves the print of blood where'er it walks.
Leave
To have remaining at death; hence, to bequeath; as, he left a large estate; he left a good name; he left a legacy to his niece.
Leave
To cause to be; - followed by an adjective or adverb describing a state or condition; as, the losses due to fire leave me penniless; The cost of defending himself left Bill Clinton with a mountain of lawyers' bills.
Leave
To depart; to set out.
By the time I left for Scotland.
Leave
To cease; to desist; to leave off.
Leave off, and for another summons wait.
Leave
Liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed; permission; allowance; license.
David earnestly asked leave of me.
No friend has leave to bear away the dead.
Leave
The act of leaving or departing; a formal parting; a leaving; farewell; adieu; - used chiefly in the phrase, to take leave, i. e., literally, to take permission to go.
A double blessing is a'double grace;Occasion smiles upon a second leave.
And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren.
Leave
The period of time during which you are absent from work or duty;
A ten day's leave to visit his mother
Leave
Permission to do something;
She was granted leave to speak
Leave
The act of departing politely;
He disliked long farewells
He took his leave
Parting is such sweet sorrow
Leave
Go away from a place;
At what time does your train leave?
She didn't leave until midnight
The ship leaves at midnight
Leave
Go and leave behind, either intentionally or by neglect or forgetfulness;
She left a mess when she moved out
His good luck finally left him
Her husband left her after 20 years of marriage
She wept thinking she had been left behind
Leave
Act or be so as to become in a specified state;
The inflation left them penniless
The president's remarks left us speechless
Leave
Leave unchanged or undisturbed or refrain from taking;
Leave it as is
Leave the young fawn alone
Leave the flowers that you see in the park behind
Leave
Move out of or depart from;
Leave the room
The fugitive has left the country
Leave
Make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain;
This leaves no room for improvement
The evidence allows only one conclusion
Allow for mistakes
Leave lots of time for the trip
This procedure provides for lots of leeway
Leave
Result in;
The water left a mark on the silk dress
Her blood left a stain on the napkin
Leave
Remove oneself from an association with or participation in;
She wants to leave
The teenager left home
She left her position with the Red Cross
He left the Senate after two terms
After 20 years with the same company, she pulled up stakes
Leave
Put into the care or protection of someone;
He left the decision to his deputy
Leave your child the nurse's care
Leave
Leave or give by will after one's death;
My aunt bequeathed me all her jewelry
My grandfather left me his entire estate
Leave
Have left or have as a remainder;
That left the four of us
19 minus 8 leaves 11
Leave
Be survived by after one's death;
He left six children
At her death, she left behind her husband and 11 cats
Leave
Tell or deposit (information) knowledge;
Give a secret to the Russians
Leave your name and address here
Leave
Leave behind unintentionally;
I forgot my umbrella in the restaurant
I left my keys inside the car and locked the doors
Leave
To go away from a place.
She decided to leave the party early.
Leave
To stop attending or being part of.
She left the organization after five years.
Leave
To abandon or desert.
He left his old habits behind when he moved.
Common Curiosities
What does it mean to leave?
To leave means to go away from a place or situation, temporarily or permanently.
What does it mean to quit?
To quit means to stop doing something permanently.
Can quit imply a temporary stop?
No, quit usually means a permanent cessation.
What is an example of quitting?
Quitting a job due to dissatisfaction.
Does quitting imply dissatisfaction?
Often, but not always; it can be due to better opportunities.
Can leaving be involuntary?
Yes, one can be asked to leave a place or situation.
Is leave always a personal choice?
No, it can be due to external circumstances.
Is leave used in a professional context?
Yes, such as leaving a job for a break or new position.
Can leave be temporary?
Yes, leaving can be temporary, like taking a vacation.
What’s a common phrase using quit?
Quit smoking.
What’s a common phrase using leave?
Leave the house.
Can leave suggest returning?
Yes, it can imply a temporary absence.
Can someone quit and leave at the same time?
Yes, someone can quit a job and leave the office immediately.
Is quitting always voluntary?
Typically, yes, quitting is a voluntary action.
Does quit have a negative connotation?
Sometimes, as it can imply giving up.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
