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)
Synonym Usage
See desert 2.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has forsakenperfect 3rd person singular
-
have forsakenperfect
-
is forsakingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
am forsakingprogressive 1st person singular
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are forsakingprogressive
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forsakingparticiple
-
forsakessingular 3rd person
-
have been forsakingperfect progressive
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has been forsakingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had forsakenperfect
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had been forsakingperfect progressive
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were forsakingprogressive plural
-
was forsakingprogressive singular
-
forsakenparticiple
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forsooksimple
Future
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”; see for-
Explanation
To forsake another person is to leave them entirely, usually in a moment of need. Forsake may mean simply giving something up, such as a way of life or a homeland, for something better or more appropriate. But it is often a mean word, suggesting leaving something or someone behind when they need you to stay. One way to remember the meaning of this verb — to abandon or desert — is to remember this little sentence: "For heaven's sake, don't leave me, or heaven is lost!" Lose the heaven, and you have forsake.
Vocabulary lists containing forsake
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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.
Forsake, a footwear company based in Boston, has most of its supply chain and production facility in Zhongshan in southeastern China.
From New York Times • Jan. 31, 2020
One of the first songs played: a popular Arab melody called Do Not Forsake Me, Lover.
From Time Magazine Archive
Than all who marked its opening beauty blow, Forsake the tainted sweet, and faded hue.
From History of Roman Literature from its Earliest Period to the Augustan Age. Volume I by Dunlop, John
What! break his trust! desert his high command, Forsake his post, and disobey his queen!
From The Earl of Essex by Jones, Henry Festing
Anon Let each brave officer, of chosen valour, Forsake his couch, and with delib'rate spirit, Meet at the citadel.
From The Grecian Daughter by Murphy, Arthur
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.
