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
Given the length of the series, the Dodgers will forego that strategy and likely look to add a reliever who can throw bulk innings. — Katie Woo, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026 If there were ever a time to forego a buzzy cocktail bar, this was it. — Callie Thorpe, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 East Middle School will forego its student government indefinitely. — Eli Grober, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026 Those will be decided by a judge, as McCollister opted to forego a jury trial, according to WXIX-TV. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 1 Oct. 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 20 Oct. 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

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