forgo
Americanverb (used with object)
-
forgoes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
forwent,
past
-
forgone,
past participle
-
forgoing
present participle
verb
-
to give up or do without
-
archaic to leave
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
forgosimple
-
forgoessimple
-
have forgoneperfect
-
has forgoneperfect
-
am forgoingprogressive
-
are forgoingprogressive
-
is forgoingprogressive
-
have been forgoingperfect progressive
-
has been forgoingperfect progressive
Past
-
forwentsimple
-
had forgoneperfect
-
was forgoingprogressive
-
were forgoingprogressive
-
had been forgoingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of forgo
First recorded before 950; Middle English forgon, Old English forgān ; see origin at for-, go 1
Explanation
The verb forgo means to give up or lose the right to something. The word forgo can be traced back to the Old English word forgān, which meant to pass away or to die, which is sometimes referred to as "giving up the ghost." Perhaps it was this idea of relinquishing something that led to our modern-day use of the word forgo to mean to give up, waive, or forfeit something. For example, someone charged with a crime might decide to forgo the right to remain silent and instead confess.
Vocabulary lists containing forgo
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Dear Martin
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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.
See Examples For:
One family in her social circle told her they took out a second mortgage on their home rather than forgo baseball, she said, adding, “I really do truly believe it is parents having FOMO.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
“Should we just forgo the bike lanes and do a straight repave? The answer was no, we wanna use the grant money for the bike lanes.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
That’s not to say that Google will forgo its Gemini ambitions.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
It seems unlikely that the coiffed and polished Harp would freely choose to forgo a real suitcase in order to carry an oversized sack like a disorganized college kid.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
The magistrate would forgo taxing Painter Chen's old hometown village for a year and Painter Chen would paint the magistrate a dragon.
From "When the Sea Turned to Silver" by Grace Lin
Ms. Bush makes some rookie errors: She forgoes whisking dry ingredients separately from the wet, doesn’t let the steaming butter cool before mixing, and is too quick to take the pan out of the oven.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Typically wearing a traditional Caribbean shirt, Cepeda forgoes a tie, which he considers a symbol of oligarchy.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
She forgoes chemotherapy, emails her resignation letter and hits the road.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2025
But despite its bristly concept, “The End” largely forgoes any direct images of annihilation, settling into a vast underground bunker with seemingly endless resources well after most humans have perished.
From Salon ● Dec. 7, 2024
She forgoes all of the usual motel thrills, like unwrapping the soaps and hunting for the Bible.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Cleveland forwent college, hitting the road soon after his high school graduation in 1999, and emerged as an exciting sideman, passionate about bluegrass’s history and quick-witted, too — “a good hang,” as Gill put it.
From New York Times ● Feb. 28, 2023
Petrobras said the war significantly affected its export markets, as Asian buyers received Russian crude that European and North American buyers forwent.
From Reuters ● Jul. 28, 2022
Five-star defensive end Korey Foreman forwent Clemson last offseason.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 2, 2021
Chau avoided romantic entanglement, believing it irresponsible given the risks of his mission to North Sentinel, and forwent full-time employment in order to focus on preparing.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 3, 2019
I forwent Supper and walked by the shore of the Charles until I could see Boston.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
The forgone wages and benefits of these retirees add up to an estimated $201 billion annually and the loss of payroll contributions represents a $356 million hit to federal tax revenue, Implan estimates.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
The prosecution added that it was not a forgone conclusion the defendants would be deported following these convictions.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
Employment in the industry has fallen by 37%, and since 2014 the state has lost $1.1 billion in wages and $70 million in forgone tax revenue.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 9, 2026
Any forgone tax revenues now would affect our own government, which builds our roads and pays for our defense, education, etc.
From Slate ● Apr. 1, 2025
Couldn’t he have forgone a weekend in Vegas?
From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins
Are they buying fewer types of green ingredients in particular or just forgoing certain places and brands altogether?
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
It would have also meant the government forgoing a contractual right to sue Damen Navel for damages, the ministry added.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
By forgoing the front cab, Humble Robotics could face additional regulatory hurdles, said Dan Sperling, founding director emeritus of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2026
You are forgoing any increases in the stock market and hedging your bets against a severe downturn in the market.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 11, 2026
He saw marriage as the loving alignment of two people who could lead parallel lives but without forgoing any independent dreams or ambitions.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
