forgo

verb for·go \ fȯr-ˈgō \

variants: or less commonly forego

Definition of forgo

-went play \fȯr-ˈwent\; forgone play \fȯr-ˈgȯn also -ˈgän\; forgoing play \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

play \fȯr-ˈgō-ər\ noun

See forgo defined for English-language learners

See forgo defined for kids

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 of forgo from the Web

With her fifth novel, The Burning Girl (Norton), Claire Messud forgoes clever satire for elegant sympathy.

— sloane crosley, vanityfair.com, "What to Read This Month: Katy Tur’s Unbelievable, Claire Messud’s The Burning Girl, and More," 14 Aug. 2017
Given his ADP, Dalton can be paired with another quarterback to form a potent committee, or an owner could even forgo a backup and start out with Dalton as their sole quarterback.

— michael beller, SI.com, "Fantasy Football Quarterback Sleepers: Carson Palmer Shaping Up To Be a Late Steal," 8 Aug. 2017
But human urine is packed with minerals from our salty diets, and mountain goats will forgo those journeys if there is a lot of urine around.

— steph yin, New York Times, "Mountain Goats on Your Trail? They Like You, and Your Urine," 3 Aug. 2017
Everyone needs to stare down the toilet bowl before flushing; no one should forgo lotion; and the best kind of exercise involves a whole lot of talking.

— wendy williams as told to ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Wendy Williams Attributes Her Health to Fake Meat and Constant Moisturizing," 27 July 2017
Women still are advised to forgo antiperspirant in another medical setting: while getting a mammogram.

— tom avril, Philly.com, "For breast-cancer patients, a study that makes summer more comfortable," 25 July 2017
The bonus therefore becomes a monetary incentive to forgo higher education, and dugouts fill with athletes at all points on the academic spectrum.

— hayley glatter, The Atlantic, "Major League Baseball's Educational Safety Net," 13 July 2017
Perhaps this is why many brides are opting for nontraditional weddings and allowing their bridesmaids to wear different dresses within a certain color range, or forgoing the whole bridesmaid dress trend altogether.

— rosemary donahue, Allure, "Here’s Why Bridesmaids Always Wear Matching Dresses," 1 July 2017
Authorities in Columbia are asking residents this year to forgo shooting off fireworks for the sake of a family of bald eagles.

— pat eaton-robb, courant.com, "Fourth Of July Fireworks Discouraged In Columbia For Sake Of Bald Eagles," 27 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'forgo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of forgo

Middle English, from Old English forgān to pass by, forgo, from for- + gān to go

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

forgo Synonyms

Synonyms

abjure, abstain (from), forbear (also forego), keep (from), refrain (from), withhold (from)

Antonyms

bow (to), give in (to), submit (to), succumb (to), surrender (to), yield (to)

Related Words

avoid, eschew, shun; check, constrain, curb, inhibit; deny, refuse, reject, repudiate; buck, combat, fight

Near Antonyms

acquiesce (to), capitulate, concede (to), knuckle under (to)

FORGO Defined for English Language Learners

forgo

verb

Definition of forgo for English Language Learners

: to give up the use or enjoyment of (something)

FORGO Defined for Kids

forgo

verb for·go

variants: also forego \fȯr-ˈgō\

Definition of forgo for Students

forwent also forewent \-ˈwent\; forgone also foregone \-ˈgȯn\; forgoing also foregoing

:to give up the use or enjoyment of

Don't forgo this opportunity.

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for forgo Spanish Central: Translation of forgo Nglish: Translation of forgo for Spanish speakers

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Examples of forgo in a Sentence

Recent Examples of forgo from the Web

Origin and Etymology of forgo

forgo Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

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Related Phrases

FORGO Defined for English Language Learners

forgo

Definition of forgo for English Language Learners

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forgo

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