forsake
[fawr-seyk]
- 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.).
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Origin of forsake
before 900; Middle English forsaken to deny, reject, Old English forsacan, equivalent to for- for- + sacan to dispute
Synonyms
See more synonyms for forsake on Thesaurus.com2. forswear, relinquish, forgo.
Synonym study
1. See desert2.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for forsake
Contemporary Examples
Every hour, the anthem is played, followed by Orthodox priests intoning prayers and beseeching God not to forsake Ukraine.
But will he be willing to forsake his lucrative gig at Fox News to grind it out on the campaign trail?
Muhammad assumed this risk because he refused to forsake any opportunity for peace.
The Kremlin will have little choice but to forsake its mega-projects.
He understood that to be leisurely is to forsake possibilities, even lives.
Historical Examples
O'Mooney's presence of mind did not forsake him upon this emergency.
Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10)Maria Edgeworth
O blessed Spirit, whom I forsake for these, they are not thou!
Essays, First SeriesRalph Waldo Emerson
There was no style, no state, unless she wished to forsake him.
The Wings of the Dove, Volume 1 of 2Henry James
How could I forsake my child, feeling my vigor all the time—the blood warm within me?
End of the TetherJoseph Conrad
Woe for the day when he was seduced to forsake that dear retirement!
The RectorMrs. (Margaret) Oliphant
forsake
- to abandon
- to give up (something valued or enjoyed)
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Word Origin
Old English forsacan
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for forsake
v.
Old English forsacan "object to, decline, oppose, refuse, deny," from for- "completely" + sacan "to deny, refuse" (see sake). Related: Forsaking.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper