Synonyms of forsake

forsake

verb

fər-ˈsāk 

as in to leave

to cause to remain behind

forsaking most of our possessions, we evacuated just before the hurricane struck

Synonyms & Similar Words

• leave
• abandon
• desert
• strand
• quit
• dump
• discard
• relinquish
• ditch
• walk away from
• renounce
• shed
• walk out on
• maroon
• escape
• fling
• sacrifice
• ignore
• vacate
• jettison
• reject
• scrap
• forget
• throw away
• withdraw (from)
• surrender
• separate (from)
• cut off
• repudiate
• throw out
• retreat (from)
• disown
• yield
• abjure
• give up
• deliver
• take off (from)
• disregard
• neglect
• hand over
• junk
• shuck (off)
• distance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• have
• possess
• keep
• retain
• hold
• own
• withhold
• reclaim
• reserve
• save
• redeem
• harbor
• rescue

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb forsake contrast with its synonyms?

The words abandon and desert are common synonyms of forsake. While all three words mean "to leave without intending to return," forsake suggests an action more likely to bring impoverishment or bereavement to that which is forsaken than its exposure to physical dangers.

a forsaken lover

When would abandon be a good substitute for forsake?

While the synonyms abandon and forsake are close in meaning, abandon suggests that the thing or person left may be helpless without protection.

abandoned children

When might desert be a better fit than forsake?

The synonyms desert and forsake are sometimes interchangeable, but desert implies that the object left may be weakened but not destroyed by one's absence.

a deserted town

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of forsake

Taylor however is adamant that the style of play which took them to successive promotions will not be forsaken now even with Ipswich Town mired in the relegation zone, five points from safety. —Asif Burhan, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

Meanwhile, Trump has his own social media and has browbeaten others, notably Facebook, into forsaking fact-checking. —Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 14 Mar. 2025

Should the United States forsake Ukraine, Europe would suffer multiple misfortunes. —Liana Fix, Foreign Affairs, 1 May 2025

But in this case, unfortunately, Netflix quite deliberately forsook what was actually unique about the novel to produce a series resembling every other historical program now on offer — with a few more olive trees. —Anthony Paletta, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025