forego

1 of 2

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 foregonext

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 2

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

Synonyms of forego

Relevance

Verb (1)

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
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
In children’s it-narratives such as The History of a Pocket Prayer Book (1839) and The Adventures of a Work-Bag (1826), authors forego the sharp edge of satire for the blunt instrument of didacticism. — Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2026 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 Next try Friday… Bad weather at Starbase forced SpaceX to forego a launch attempt on Thursday. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 24 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for forego

Word History

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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 4 Sep. 2026.

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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
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