definitions

forsake

[ fawr-seyk ]
/ fɔrˈseɪk /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR forsake ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), for·sook, for·sak·en, for·sak·ing.

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.).

RELATED CONTENT

Decoding The PR MachineIf a PR rep is waving something shiny in their left hand, you might want to look to see what they're hiding in their right hand.
READ MORE

RELATED WORDS

relinquish, quit, spurn, renounce, repudiate, forgo, forswear, disown, jettison, disclaim, abdicate, jilt, yield, leave, resign, surrender, desert

Nearby words

forrest, forrest city, forrestal, forrester, forrestier's disease, forsake, forsaken, forseti, forsook, forsooth, forspeak

Origin of forsake

before 900; Middle English forsaken to deny, reject, Old English forsacan, equivalent to for- for- + sacan to dispute

Related forms

for·sak·er, nounun·for·sak·ing, adjective

Synonym study

1. See desert2.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for forsake

British Dictionary definitions for forsake

forsake

/ (fəˈseɪk) /

verb -sakes, -saking, -sook (-ˈsʊk) or -saken (-ˈseɪkən) (tr)

to abandon
to give up (something valued or enjoyed)

Derived Forms

forsaker, noun

Word Origin for forsake

Old English forsacan
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012