forgo

verb

for·​go fȯr-ˈgō 

variants or less commonly forego

forwent fȯr-ˈwent  ; forgone fȯr-ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; forgoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ 

-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ

transitive verb

1

: to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without

never forwent an opportunity of honest profit

—R. L. Stevenson

decided to forgo dessert for a few days

2

archaic : forsake

forgoer

fȯr-ˈgō-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• avoid

Examples of forgo in a Sentence

She is planning to forgo her right to a trial and simply plead guilty.

I'll forgo dessert tonight—I'm trying to lose weight.

Recent Examples on the Web

Gunn chooses to forgo another Superman origin story, which seems wise taken at face value. —Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 8 July 2025

On her wedding day to Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, Princess Eugenie decided to forgo a traditional veil in favor of the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, commonly referred to as the Boucheron Tiara, lent to her by Queen Elizabeth. —Meredith Kile, People.com, 4 July 2025

The prep was a bit basic (trim excess fat and apply dry rub), forgoing brisket basics like rubbing the meat with mustard as a binder for the seasoning, but still forgivable. —Chris Morris, Fortune, 3 July 2025

Users can pay an additional $2 a month to forgo ads. —Annie Palmer, CNBC, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English forgān to pass by, forgo, from for- + gān to go

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for forgo

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau

Kids Definition

forgo

verb

for·​go

variants also forego

fȯr-ˈgō,

fōr-

forwent

-ˈwent

; forgone -ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; forgoing -ˈgō-iŋ 

: to let pass

forgo an opportunity

: go without

forgo lunch