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

Another recent survey by American Student Assistance of more than 3,000 middle- and high-school students showed 70% of teens say their parents are more supportive of forgoing a college education for a different pursuit like trade school or an apprenticeship. —Sydney Lake, Fortune, 20 July 2025

Regardless of the cause, the effects were devastating: Some students decided to delay college or forgo it altogether. —Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 20 July 2025

Gunn forgoes the familiar origin story, dropping us three years into Superman's tenure as Earth's mightiest defender. —Ew Staff Published, EW.com, 11 July 2025

Most economic theories on taxation suggest that taxpayers will simply forgo the activity rather than bear the additional burden of taxation. —Nathan Goldman, Forbes.com, 10 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