ichidan verb, transitive verb
cancel; call off
Used for canceling plans, events, or arrangements that were already decided.
雨でピクニックを取りやめた。
We canceled the picnic because of the rain.
会議は急に取りやめになった。
The meeting was suddenly called off.
Standard spelling using okurigana for clarity.
Alternate kanji spelling; less common but still used.
Loanword from English; more casual and often used for reservations or orders. 取りやめる is more formal and implies a deliberate decision to stop something already planned.
More formal and often used for large-scale events or official announcements. 取りやめる is slightly less formal and can be used for personal plans.
Compound of 取り (tori, continuative form of 取る 'to take') + やめる (yameru 'to stop'). The combination yields the meaning 'to take and stop', i.e., to cancel something already arranged.