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

"Creative thinking is born of loneliness... because I stood before the art all alone, I was able to forge my own path," Kusama said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 27, 2026

Merz was able to forge an awkward governing coalition with the center-left Social Democratic Party, the CDU’s longtime ideological opponents.

From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026

While McKenna had enough credit in the bank to play the long game, O'Neil knows he needs to forge a competitive side quickly.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Here, like “two gears adjusted into the right alignment,” they forge a connection.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

We have to meander like a Mars rover to forge our way through the woods, weaving a slow and unpredictable path.

From "Dry" by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

But Winocour finds calm hidden beneath the unrest, a moment to pause and breathe, just to feel alive as life forges on without our consent.

From Salon ● Jun. 29, 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

It seems essential to how he forges on.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 10, 2026

They crafted heavy chains and shackles in the forges of the gods, and they carried the shackles to Fenrir.

From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman

Ahead of the meeting, Ukraine has forged ahead with its campaign against Russia's logistics sites, hitting multiple warehouses belonging to e-commerce giant Ozon.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 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

Shehu laundered money through property—including the peninsula in Zvernec—that was stolen using techniques such as forged Ottoman-era land records, prosecutors said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 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

"And, of course, a god can be slain by another god, or by a weapon like Kasusu. It was forged for that very reason."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

He then followed his father to Manchester City in 2008 and worked with him again at Fulham before forging his own path abroad.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 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

Japanese pharmaceutical major Takeda is forging an AI drug-discovery partnership with biotech firm InSilico with a potential initial value of $600.0 million, according to people familiar with the matter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

Unless I’m being reprimanded at school for forging sick notes from Mom.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Related Words

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