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

; forgoes

fȯr-ˈgōz

transitive verb

1

: to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without

… never forwent an opportunity of honest profit …

—Robert Louis Stevenson

decided to forgo dessert for a few days …

2

archaic : forsake

forgoer

fȯr-ˈgō-ər 

noun

Synonyms of forgo

• 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

The controversy has carried into the offseason, apparently prompting at least one prominent UNC football alumnus to forgo attending games in person when the 2026 season begins this fall. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 13 Mar. 2026

Sometimes, that means forgoing the drive to take their children to school. —Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026

Davis’ decision to forgo a 16th term in Congress set off a frenzy among hopefuls eager to run without worrying about beating an incumbent, one known as the dean of the Illinois House delegation. —Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026

Tarwater said forgoing the competitive bidding process would allow the Chiefs to select a highly specialized firm capable of completing necessary work as quickly as possible to ensure the stadium can open on-time. —Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 10 Mar. 2026

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