forego

1 of 4

verb (1)

fore·​go fȯr-ˈgō How to pronounce forego (audio)
forewent fȯr-ˈwent How to pronounce forego (audio) ; foregone fȯr-ˈgȯn How to pronounce forego (audio)
also -ˈgän
 ; foregoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce forego (audio)
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ
 ; foregoes fȯr-ˈgōz How to pronounce forego (audio)
Synonyms of forego

transitive verb

: to go before : precede
The story of his mishap forewent him.
foregoer
fȯr-ˈgō-ər How to pronounce forego (audio)
noun

forego

2 of 4

verb (2)

fore·​go

less common spelling of forgo

transitive verb

1
: to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without
… never forwent an opportunity of honest profit …—Robert Louis Stevenson
decided to forgo dessert for a few days …
2
archaic : forsake

forgo

3 of 4

verb (3)

for·​go fȯr-ˈgō How to pronounce forgo (audio)
variants or less commonly forego
forwent fȯr-ˈwent How to pronounce forgo (audio) ; forgone fȯr-ˈgȯn How to pronounce forgo (audio)
also -ˈgän
 also foregone; forgoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce forgo (audio)
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ
 also foregoing; forgoes
fȯr-ˈgōz
 also foregoes

transitive verb

1
: to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without
… never forwent an opportunity of honest profit …—Robert Louis Stevenson
decided to forgo dessert for a few days …
2
archaic : forsake
forgoer
fȯr-ˈgō-ər How to pronounce forgo (audio)
noun

foregoer

4 of 4

noun

fore·​go·​er -ˈgōə(r) How to pronounce foregoer (audio)
: one that goes before: such as
a
obsolete : a messenger sent ahead (as a king's purveyor) : forerunner
b
: one that leads or goes in the van : example
c
: predecessor, ancestor
d
: the foreganger of a harpoon

Synonyms of forego

Relevance

Verb (1)

Verb (3)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of forego in a Sentence

Verb (1) if the sparse crowds are any indication of the public's interest in the presidential candidate, then his reputation obviously foregoes him Verb (3) She is planning to forgo her right to a trial and simply plead guilty. I'll forgo dessert tonight—I'm trying to lose weight.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The story’s ultimate message about the kids learning to forego their electronic devices to embrace the joy of friends and family also seems a bit ironic, considering the film’s future as an electronic babysitter. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 20 Aug. 2026 Pierre Lucotte, deputy CEO for Palantir France, said some federal agencies would rather forego necessary software than pay the company. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 28 July 2026
Verb
The ability to forgo these tools altogether is largely a luxury. — Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 Patient capital measures success in milestones rather than quarters, accepts pivots as part of the process and often forgoes early liquidity in the hope of greater long-term upside. — Richard Ceffalio, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forego

Word History

Etymology

Verb (3)

Middle English, from Old English forgān to pass by, forgo, from for- + gān to go

Noun

Middle English forgoer, foregoer, from forgon + -er

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of forego was before the 12th century

Rhymes for forego

See All Rhymes for forego

Browse Nearby Words

foreglimpse
forego
foregoer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forego. Accessed 27 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

forego

1 of 2 verb
fore·​go fōr-ˈgō How to pronounce forego (audio)
fȯr-
forewent
-ˈwent
 ; foregone -ˈgȯn How to pronounce forego (audio)
also -ˈgän
 ; foregoing -ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce forego (audio)
: to go before : precede
foregoer
-ˈgō(-ə)r How to pronounce forego (audio)
noun

forego

2 of 2

variant of forgo

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of southpaw

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Why do we say 'break a leg'?

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All