Synonyms of forsake

forsake

verb

fər-ˈsāk 

as in to leave

to cause to remain behind

forsaking most of our possessions, we evacuated just before the hurricane struck

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leave
• abandon
• desert
• strand
• quit
• dump
• discard
• relinquish
• ditch
• walk away from
• renounce
• shed
• walk out on
• maroon
• escape
• fling
• sacrifice
• ignore
• vacate
• jettison
• reject
• scrap
• forget
• throw away
• withdraw (from)
• surrender
• separate (from)
• cut off
• repudiate
• throw out
• retreat (from)
• disown
• yield
• abjure
• give up
• deliver
• take off (from)
• disregard
• neglect
• hand over
• junk
• shuck (off)
• distance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• have
• possess
• keep
• retain
• hold
• own
• withhold
• reclaim
• reserve
• save
• redeem
• harbor
• rescue

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb forsake contrast with its synonyms?

The words abandon and desert are common synonyms of forsake. While all three words mean "to leave without intending to return," forsake suggests an action more likely to bring impoverishment or bereavement to that which is forsaken than its exposure to physical dangers.

a forsaken lover

When would abandon be a good substitute for forsake?

While the synonyms abandon and forsake are close in meaning, abandon suggests that the thing or person left may be helpless without protection.

abandoned children

When might desert be a better fit than forsake?

The synonyms desert and forsake are sometimes interchangeable, but desert implies that the object left may be weakened but not destroyed by one's absence.

a deserted town

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of forsake

If bigger and better opportunities come along, striking while the iron is hot is a logical course of action, even when moves sometimes appear to make more sense for financial reasons than footballing ones and forsaking the comfort of operating in a stable environment. — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026

But that doesn’t mean forsaking the forecast and the threat of more dipping temperatures to come. — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2026

Some of her relations shall elect to starve rather than forsake the stone that saved them from a life adrift. — Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026

The Padres dressed like the Brewers and Mariners, forsaking the brown-and-gold merchandise boom to come. — Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Feb. 2026