forgive

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb forgive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of forgive are condone, excuse, and pardon. While all these words mean "to exact neither punishment nor redress," forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.

could not forgive their rudeness

When is condone a more appropriate choice than forgive?

The words condone and forgive can be used in similar contexts, but condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it.

a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics

When might excuse be a better fit than forgive?

In some situations, the words excuse and forgive are roughly equivalent. However, excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these. Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

excuse an interruption
excused them for interrupting
injustice excuses strong responses

When could pardon be used to replace forgive?

While the synonyms pardon and forgive are close in meaning, pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.

pardon a criminal

Examples of forgive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Education Department said earlier this year the Biden administration had forgiven roughly $170 billion in student loan debt for about five million Americans. Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 13 Oct. 2024 Perhaps you’d be forgiven for thinking that Law Roach is a stylist. Charlotte Collins, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2024 The worker, who the museum said was covering for the regular technician, could perhaps be forgiven their error given the fact that the beer cans were displayed in a glass lift shaft, as though they were left behind by construction workers. Jack Guy, CNN, 8 Oct. 2024 Debt that already had been forgiven under the plan was unaffected. Adriana Morga, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for forgive 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forgive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near forgive

Cite this Entry

“Forgive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgive. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on forgive

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