forsake
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to quit or leave entirely; abandon; desert.
She has forsaken her country for an island in the South Pacific.
-
to give up or renounce (a habit, way of life, etc.).
- Synonyms:
- forgo , relinquish , forswear
verb
-
to abandon
-
to give up (something valued or enjoyed)
Related Words
See desert 2.
Other Word Forms
- forsaker noun
- unforsaking adjective
Etymology
Origin of forsake
First recorded before 900; Middle English forsaken “to deny, reject,” Old English forsacan, equivalent to for- prefix meaning “away, off” + sacan “to dispute”; for-
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a fleeting tableau, but it reveals the whole story: even the most forsaken creation reaches for connection the moment he’s given something warm to hold in his hands.
From Salon
It also added a neon sign and then subtracted it, eventually forsaking much of its original design as owners and managers came and went.
From Los Angeles Times
Underwater and forsaken, American homeowners watched as their earth-toned Tuscan kitchens and quirky bits of ornament made their homes slow to move in a glutted market.
From Salon
The scripted sequel is the triumphant homecoming of those who moved on but never forsook their roots.
From Los Angeles Times
Now that they’ve forsaken the last obstacle to selling out entirely, they will likely lose many more.
From Salon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
