forego

1 of 2

verb (1)

fore·​go fȯr-ˈgō 

forewent fȯr-ˈwent  ; foregone fȯr-ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; foregoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ 

-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ

transitive verb

: to go before : precede

The story of his mishap forewent him.

foregoer

fȯr-ˈgō-ər 

noun

forego

2 of 2

verb (2)

fore·​go

less common spelling of forgo

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

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• antecede
• antedate
• precede
• predate
• preexist

Examples of forego in a Sentence

Verb (1)

if the sparse crowds are any indication of the public's interest in the presidential candidate, then his reputation obviously foregoes him

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Because flat fee contracts do not account for the work needed in many or even most cases, attorneys attempt to save time and expenses by foregoing important work altogether. —Nick Schultz, Oc Register, 29 May 2025

Puerto Rico, Spain A lot of American travelers are foregoing Barcelona due to overtourism and instead are considering Puerto Rico. —Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025

The new loan is for $210 million, meaning lenders are foregoing $514 million of the debt. —Kurt Badenhausen, Sportico.com, 25 Apr. 2025

However, guests who forego those discounts can snag a different deal: a free Disney Dining Plan with non-discounted minimum 4-day, 4-night Disney vacation packages with the Park Hopper ticket option. —Eve Chen, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for forego

• afterglow
• akimbo
• albino
• aliquot
• allegro
• amigo
• apropos
• audio
• bungalow
• calico
• calypso
• cameo

Kids Definition

forego

1 of 2 verb

fore·​go fōr-ˈgō 

fȯr-

forewent

-ˈwent

; foregone -ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; foregoing -ˈgō-iŋ 

: to go before : precede

foregoer

-ˈgō(-ə)r 

noun

forego

2 of 2

variant of forgo