1
: a furnace or a shop with its furnace where metal is heated and wrought : smithy
2
: a workshop where wrought iron is produced or where iron is made malleable
forged; forging
1
a
: to form (something, such as metal) by heating and hammering
forged pieces of iron into hooks
b
: to form (metal) by a mechanical or hydraulic press with or without heat
2
: to make or imitate falsely especially with intent to defraud : counterfeit
forge a document
forge a signature
3
: to form or bring into being especially by an expenditure of effort
working to forge party unity
The two countries forged a strong alliance.
forged; forging
1
: to move forward slowly and steadily
the ship forged ahead through heavy seas
2
: to move with a sudden increase of speed and power
forged into the lead
forged ahead in marketing the product
Did you know?
Are "forging ahead" and "forging a check" from the same forge?
There are many things you can do with the word forge in English. You can forge ahead (which, confusingly enough, can mean either "move slowly and steadily" or "move with a sudden increase of speed"), you can forge a check or a painting (make something fake), or you can forge a sword (make something real). The senses that relate to creating something (either real or fake) come from the same Latin word that gives us fabric, which is fabricare ("to fashion, construct"). We are not certain where the “movement” senses of forge come from, except insofar as we know that they are from a different origin than the “creation” senses of the word.
Synonyms
Examples of forge in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
Inside the facility, a rotary forge turns red-hot preform hunks of steel and alloy, using mechanical hammers to draw out precise shapes and contours.
—Hope Hodge Seck, Popular Mechanics, 21 Aug. 2023
By embodying these qualities and understanding the core fundamentals of brand expectations, athletes and creators can unlock the full potential of sponsorship opportunities and forge mutually beneficial relationships with brands across the globe.
—King Holder, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2024
While struggling to develop his style of instruction, Po happens upon his biological father Li Shan (Bryan Cranston) and the two forge a bond.
—Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2023
In this virtual world, players could transform into pixelated avatars, embark on adventures, and forge friendships, all while battling against the forces of evil.
—David Moon (junseo Moon), Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Hear the forge roar, feel its heat, and revel in the alchemy of your tiny 6,000-word bladesmith apprenticeship.
—Longreads, 12 Jan. 2024
Was it newly made in the Kyburg forge or already worn in battle?
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024
Dubbed The Fithian Group, the trio will advise clients on strategy and communications, as well as use their connections in the exhibition industry to find investors and forge partnerships.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 15 Nov. 2023
Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
May his legacy continue to inspire future generations of artists, reminding us all of the enduring power of music and the transformative spirit of those who dare to forge new paths.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Conflict is certainly in the genre’s DNA; ever since the advent of battle rapping in the early 1980s, hip-hop’s titans have forged their reputation in the heat of lyrical warfare.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Read more Hers's how Dawn Staley forged her championship legacy after a heartbreak of 1991.
—USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Every few weeks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Israel to express increasing concern about Israel’s war actions, and to neighboring Arab states to try to persuade them to help find a way to forge a postwar peace plan that Jerusalem couldn’t refuse.
—Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Rising militarism has silenced efforts at forging peaceful coexistence with Palestinians.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
Instead of waiting for the road to clear, forge the path.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Over the past few years, Mya, now 21, has found her own place in the spotlight while forging her path as a collegiate athlete.
—Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2023
The Vichy police caught Spira forging documents and deported him to Poland, and he was imprisoned at Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Theresienstadt.
—Town & Country, 8 Apr. 2023
It might be pinged by someone or something strongly, forging an instantaneous connection.
—Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2023
The knife begins with a process known as Hizukui Tanzou, which heats up the metal and forges the knife into its general shape.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 4 Apr. 2023
JCPenney made it out with 55,000 employees and is forging a new future.
—Maria Halkias, Dallas News, 3 Apr. 2023
If there were questions about the wisdom of investing in college football at the time, forging ahead proved a boon on several fronts, Wicker said.
—Billy Witz, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2023
The announcement of his new campaign committee garnered the national attention Newsom craves, and the governor’s travels will surely elevate his profile further, bulk up his political treasury and forge a countrywide network of connections.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2023
Further investigation found that at least 25 people associated with Pir’s big game hunting outfitter company presented forged documents to import at least 97 hunting trophies into the U.S. between 2013 and 2018, the Justice Department said.
—Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023
Noun
Later episodes dwell on how Tom learns to fake other people’s signatures and forge documents, or even on something relatively small like the manipulations required to get ice cubes out of trays with early Sixties refrigerator/freezer technology.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 4 Apr. 2024
Inside the facility, a rotary forge turns red-hot preform hunks of steel and alloy, using mechanical hammers to draw out precise shapes and contours.
—Hope Hodge Seck, Popular Mechanics, 21 Aug. 2023
By embodying these qualities and understanding the core fundamentals of brand expectations, athletes and creators can unlock the full potential of sponsorship opportunities and forge mutually beneficial relationships with brands across the globe.
—King Holder, Rolling Stone, 4 Mar. 2024
While struggling to develop his style of instruction, Po happens upon his biological father Li Shan (Bryan Cranston) and the two forge a bond.
—Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2023
In this virtual world, players could transform into pixelated avatars, embark on adventures, and forge friendships, all while battling against the forces of evil.
—David Moon (junseo Moon), Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024
Hear the forge roar, feel its heat, and revel in the alchemy of your tiny 6,000-word bladesmith apprenticeship.
—Longreads, 12 Jan. 2024
Was it newly made in the Kyburg forge or already worn in battle?
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024
Dubbed The Fithian Group, the trio will advise clients on strategy and communications, as well as use their connections in the exhibition industry to find investors and forge partnerships.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 15 Nov. 2023
Verb
The new transitional presidential council, once formalized, will be tasked with helping Haiti forge a path out of the chaos and onto elections by appointing a new prime minister and government.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 12 Apr. 2024
May his legacy continue to inspire future generations of artists, reminding us all of the enduring power of music and the transformative spirit of those who dare to forge new paths.
—Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
Conflict is certainly in the genre’s DNA; ever since the advent of battle rapping in the early 1980s, hip-hop’s titans have forged their reputation in the heat of lyrical warfare.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Read more Hers's how Dawn Staley forged her championship legacy after a heartbreak of 1991.
—USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Every few weeks, Secretary of State Antony Blinken traveled to Israel to express increasing concern about Israel’s war actions, and to neighboring Arab states to try to persuade them to help find a way to forge a postwar peace plan that Jerusalem couldn’t refuse.
—Karen Deyoung, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2024
Rising militarism has silenced efforts at forging peaceful coexistence with Palestinians.
—Howard Lafranchi, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Apr. 2024
Instead of waiting for the road to clear, forge the path.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Over the past few years, Mya, now 21, has found her own place in the spotlight while forging her path as a collegiate athlete.
—Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 30 Mar. 2024
Verb
Sean Manaea poured a 94 mph fastball in for a strike to his catcher, Blake Sabol, and forged a bit of history.
—Matt Kawahara, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Apr. 2023
The Vichy police caught Spira forging documents and deported him to Poland, and he was imprisoned at Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and Theresienstadt.
—Town & Country, 8 Apr. 2023
It might be pinged by someone or something strongly, forging an instantaneous connection.
—Tarot Astrologers, Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2023
The knife begins with a process known as Hizukui Tanzou, which heats up the metal and forges the knife into its general shape.
—Darren Orf, Popular Mechanics, 4 Apr. 2023
JCPenney made it out with 55,000 employees and is forging a new future.
—Maria Halkias, Dallas News, 3 Apr. 2023
If there were questions about the wisdom of investing in college football at the time, forging ahead proved a boon on several fronts, Wicker said.
—Billy Witz, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2023
The announcement of his new campaign committee garnered the national attention Newsom craves, and the governor’s travels will surely elevate his profile further, bulk up his political treasury and forge a countrywide network of connections.
—Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2023
Further investigation found that at least 25 people associated with Pir’s big game hunting outfitter company presented forged documents to import at least 97 hunting trophies into the U.S. between 2013 and 2018, the Justice Department said.
—Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to forge
Dictionary Entries Near forge
Cite this Entry
“Forge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forge. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
forge
1 of 3 noun
ˈfō(ə)rj 
ˈfȯ(ə)rj
: a furnace or a shop with its furnace where metal is shaped and worked by heating and hammering
forge
2 of 3 verb
forged; forging
1
a
: to form (as metal) by heating and hammering
b
: to form (metal) by a press
2
: to make or imitate falsely especially with intent to deceive : counterfeit
forge a check
forge a signature
3
: to form or shape in any way : fashion
forged an agreement
forger
noun
forge
3 of 3 verb
forged; forging
: to move forward steadily but gradually
forged through the snow
Etymology
Noun
Middle English forge "workshop where metal is heated and shaped," from early French forge (same meaning), from Latin fabrica "workshop for making things of metal"
Verb
origin unknown
Medical Definition
forge
intransitive verb
forged; forging
of a horse
: to make a clicking noise by overreaching so that a hind shoe hits a fore shoe
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