forsooth
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of forsooth
before 900; Middle English forsothe, Old English forsōth. See for, sooth
Explanation
If you want to say "indeed" in a particularly witty, old-fashioned way, use the adverb forsooth. Sprinkle this word into your speech, and forsooth, your friends may think you sound Shakespearean: “Yes, forsooth mother, I shall walk the dog around the block.” Forsooth is an archaic adverb, mainly used in humorous contexts or on National Talk Like Shakespeare Day. Some etymologists believe it's a shortened form of “for in truth.”
Vocabulary lists containing forsooth
Much Ado About Nothing
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
King Lear
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Tolkien Reading Day, List 7
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
My friend recognized that a live football broadcast is, forsooth, a work of art—possibly the most widely beloved American art form that is never celebrated as such.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2015
There is no more to say, Because you'll never agree That anything’s truth, But what issues, forsooth, From Holmes or the brain of McGee.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
But, forsooth, it is an insufferable thing for a plain honest-hearted man like John Knox to tell the truth to such an one!
From The Genius of Scotland or Sketches of Scottish Scenery, Literature and Religion by Robert Turnbull
They know the smack of miracles that load And swell their paunches; yea, believe, forsooth.
From The Complete Works of Richard Crashaw, Volume II (of 2) by Richard Crashaw
The consequence is that when something happens somebody else is held responsible, because the prisons, forsooth, are under the Department of the Interior!
From The White Terror and The Red A novel of revolutionary Russia by Abraham Cahan
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.
