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

Simon Stone, co-writer and director of the new Netflix thriller, The Woman in Cabin 10, had to forgo footwear, along with the rest of his crew, for much of the making of the film. —Maureen Lee Lenker, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Oct. 2025

Alternative investments are appropriate only for eligible, long-term investors who are willing to forgo liquidity and put capital at risk for an indefinite period of time. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2025

That means that next month the players could go on strike, and forgo pay as a way of pressuring the WNBA to improve their offer. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2025

In this frigid state, electrons become complaisant enough to forgo their usual resistance and flow frictionlessly. —Dan Garisto, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 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