forge

¹ American  

[fawrj, fohrj] / fɔrdʒ, foʊrdʒ /

verb (used with object)

forged, forging

1. to form by heating and hammering; beat into shape.

2. to form or make, especially by concentrated effort.

   to forge a friendship through mutual trust.

   Synonyms:

   pirate, falsify, fake, counterfeit, build, create, mold, found, cast

3. to imitate (handwriting, a signature, etc.) fraudulently; fabricate a forgery.

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verb (used without object)

forged, forging

1. to commit forgery.

2. to work at a forge.

3. (of a horse at a trot) to strike the forefeet with the shoes of the hind feet.

noun

• forges
  plural

1. a special fireplace, hearth, or furnace in which metal is heated before shaping.

2. the workshop of a blacksmith; smithy.

forge ² American  

[fawrj, fohrj] / fɔrdʒ, foʊrdʒ /

verb (used without object)

forged, forging

1. to move ahead slowly; progress steadily.

   to forge through dense underbrush.

2. to move ahead with increased speed and effectiveness (usually followed byahead ).

   to forge ahead and finish the work in a burst of energy.

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forge ¹ British  

/ fɔːdʒ /

noun

1. a place in which metal is worked by heating and hammering; smithy

2. a hearth or furnace used for heating metal

3. a machine used to shape metals by hammering

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verb

1. (tr) to shape (metal) by heating and hammering

2. (tr) to form, shape, make, or fashion (objects, articles, etc)

3. (tr) to invent or devise (an agreement, understanding, etc)

4. to make or produce a fraudulent imitation of (a signature, banknote, etc) or to commit forgery

forge ² British  

/ fɔːdʒ /

verb

1. to move at a steady and persevering pace

2. to increase speed; spurt

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• forger
  noun
• forgeable
  adjective
• reforgeable
  adjective
• unforgeable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• forges
  plural

Etymology

Origin of forge¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English forgen, fourgen, from Old French forgier, forger, from Latin fabricāre “to fabricate”; see fabric

Origin of forge²

First recorded in 1605–15; origin uncertain

Explanation

Have you ever seen a blacksmith make a horseshoe? Well, no, probably not, but they use a special furnace which is called a forge, and "to forge something" is also the act of bashing that hot object into shape. Forge has also taken on the more general sense of creating something. A new philosophy or art form might have been forged, as might an alibi or an excuse. To forge something also has the meaning of faking something, such as a painting or a signature with the intent to deceive. It can also mean to move ahead in a steady manner, either physically or metaphorically, much like those solid, regular blows of the blacksmith's hammer.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

forge forges forged forging

To achieve his objectives, De la Espriella plans to forge a military alliance with the United States and Israel.

From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026

Change is discomfiting but America’s willingness to forge ahead is crucial to the democratic experiment.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Lacker said Warsh could forge a “center hawk” coalition to do that.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026

But the experience helped forge her career path and she said had given her a "superpower" that not every medic was able to tap in to.

From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026

“Why did you forge your mother’s signature?” he said.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

"But it endures anyway as a tradition that forges character, one that sets us apart from other branches of the armed forces."

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

He’s a student of life as much as he is filmmaking, a humanist who forges connections with spectacular sights of the things that frighten and fascinate us the most.

From Salon ● Jun. 28, 2026

Her words accrue and gain power through their spareness and clarity, and a level of character development that forges an easy intimacy with the reader.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

The US space agency's Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon, as China forges ahead with a rival effort that's targeting 2030 for its first crewed mission.

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

We are quiet for a while after, content to contemplate the stars above us, to find music in the distant sounds that drift up from the forges.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

Ranged across what is now upstate New York, the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas and Senecas had recently forged a “covenant chain” of alliance with several English colonies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

It did strike me as odd, however, that “Tony” is forged on a factual alteration that diverts Tony from the kitchen far too often — the movie’s cardinal sin.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

The social contract forged by the Revolution, he said, "has eroded" in recent years.

From Barron's ● Aug. 11, 2026

But a different union is forged when Deborah and a neutral linen-suit-wearing Marcus agree to go into business together.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

He had been forged as a weapon for the aid of man, on the assumption that men were good.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

As the court case proceeds, Contango is forging ahead.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

McCraney, Geffen Playhouse’s artistic director, said forging a path forward in nonprofit theater without succumbing to commercial pressure to produce only guaranteed hits requires the delicate balance of surfing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

He received a hero’s welcome in Hostage Square in Tel Aviv after forging a tenuous Gaza ceasefire last October, visibly moved as he was drowned out by appreciative shouts of “Thank you, Witkoff!”

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

The millionaire lawyer will take office on August 7 and has pledged to crack down on armed groups, partly by forging military partnerships with the United States and Israel.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

“Marines have lost more than ears in their long history. But still they come, always attacking, always forging ahead, driving forward without regard to life or limb.”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• build
• construct
• create
• devise
• form
• hammer out
• shape