1
as in pardoned
to cease to have feelings of anger or bitterness toward
it is not easy to forgive those who have hurt us
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ignored
to dismiss as of little importance
he has so many good qualities that I guess we can forgive a slight penchant for exaggeration
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forgiven
However, the graduate would have a remaining balance of $30,000 in year 20 that would be forgiven.
—
Medora Lee, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Even amid a government shutdown, so much is happening in Washington, at such a rapid clip and such a high pitch, that a browser of The New York Times’ homepage could be forgiven for giving up and clicking straight through to Spelling Bee.
—Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 9 Nov. 2025
You'd be forgiven for being a little sick of A Christmas Story, Bob Clark's beloved tale about 9-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and the Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle he so fiercely desires.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
You’ll be forgiven, though, for thinking of him as George Clooney, as he not only is played by Clooney but has been blessed with Clooney’s career.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
But then, Day led Ohio State on a national championship run, and all was forgiven.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Martin Scorsese fans still haven’t forgiven Ordinary People — a movie about a family grieving the loss of a child — for defeating Raging Bull in 1981, and Spielberg fans haven’t forgotten how Shakespeare in Love upset Saving Private Ryan.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Although Agnes, having married and borne a child of her own, appears to have been more successful in moving past Gustav’s abandonment, Nora has never forgiven him.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
View gallery - 6 images You could be forgiven for thinking that this extraordinary building was dreamed up as some sort of alien megastructure for a sci-fi movie.
—New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2025
Medora Lee, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
Even amid a government shutdown, so much is happening in Washington, at such a rapid clip and such a high pitch, that a browser of The New York Times’ homepage could be forgiven for giving up and clicking straight through to Spelling Bee.
—Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 9 Nov. 2025
You'd be forgiven for being a little sick of A Christmas Story, Bob Clark's beloved tale about 9-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) and the Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle he so fiercely desires.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 8 Nov. 2025
You’ll be forgiven, though, for thinking of him as George Clooney, as he not only is played by Clooney but has been blessed with Clooney’s career.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
But then, Day led Ohio State on a national championship run, and all was forgiven.
—Matthew Schmidt, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2025
Martin Scorsese fans still haven’t forgiven Ordinary People — a movie about a family grieving the loss of a child — for defeating Raging Bull in 1981, and Spielberg fans haven’t forgotten how Shakespeare in Love upset Saving Private Ryan.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Although Agnes, having married and borne a child of her own, appears to have been more successful in moving past Gustav’s abandonment, Nora has never forgiven him.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Nov. 2025
View gallery - 6 images You could be forgiven for thinking that this extraordinary building was dreamed up as some sort of alien megastructure for a sci-fi movie.
—New Atlas, 5 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgiven
Verb
-
Brown faces state charges, which can’t be pardoned by the president.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Trump pardoned or ordered the dismissal of charges for all of them.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
For weeks, the FDC, from its communication staff to Secretary Mark Inch, has ignored questions from reporters about how many inmates were being tested, how many tests were coming back positive, how many were coming back negative and how many were pending.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The woman expresses frustration that her financial reality seems ignored.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The fumble, of course, cannot be excused, but Henderson's development is essential to the Patriots fulfilling the best version of their offense.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
28 Oct. 2025
-
After Politico reported that Young Republicans expressed outrageously racist, misogynistic and anti-Semitic sentiments, Vice President JD Vance excused it as just the edgy chat of young activists.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The organization explained that the shelter avoids labeling dogs by breed to help reduce breed bias, which can negatively affect adoption rates, especially for pit bull-type mixes.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Wang explained that integrating thermal management directly into the battery reduces space, power consumption, and maintenance needs.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Some justified their retreats by citing the 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in college admissions.—
Essence,
Essence,
10 Nov. 2025
-
What begins as an academic thought experiment — can a lie ever be justified?—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Having overlooked many of her own symptoms, Farrington urges people to listen to their body and recognize when something doesn’t seem right.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Botafogo Often overlooked, Botafogo is a contemporary area, perfect for folks seeking food, music, and nightlife in a more modern setting.—
Aaron Randolph,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forgiven.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgiven. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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