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)

• precede

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

This would forego the need for a larger phase 3 study, though other trials may be done to confirm the treatment’s efficacy. —Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2025

Employees were given 14 calendar days to appeal the decisions and had to forego their severance agreements to fight the job loss. —Elliott Wenzler, Denver Post, 9 Sep. 2025

Despite earning one nomination for Artist Of The Year, Swift has opted to forego this year's awards ceremony. —Rebecca Mitchell, Refinery29, 8 Sep. 2025

Other prospective students may decide to forego higher education entirely, which could limit future employment opportunities. —Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 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