forge

¹

[fawrj, fohrj]

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.

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

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

2. the workshop of a blacksmith; smithy.

forge

²

[fawrj, fohrj]

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.

forge

¹

/ 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

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

/ fɔːdʒ /

verb

1. to move at a steady and persevering pace

2. to increase speed; spurt

Other Word Forms

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of forge¹

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

Origin of forge²

First recorded in 1605–15; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of forge¹

C14: from Old French forgier to construct, from Latin fabricāre , from faber craftsman

Origin of forge²

C17: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

While such an effect is highly unlikely and would probably be a tad disconcerting, Ms Mansfield says polynucleotides are forging the way when it comes to regenerative skincare.

Read more on BBC

“All stripped of the possibilities of forging work, adventure and life on Earth,” she writes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He fled Ecuador in 2022 with a forged Colombian passport after getting a fake Venezuelan ID.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Instead, Altman’s main product, ChatGPT, is forging ahead with a plan to let the software pretend to be a user’s romantic interest, despite strong evidence that doing so will send “users down mental health spirals.”

Read more on Salon

Mariona moved from job to job, eventually forging a career as a TV director.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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