forgo

verb

for·​go fȯr-ˈgō 

variants or less commonly forego

forwent fȯr-ˈwent  ; forgone fȯr-ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; forgoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ 

-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ

transitive verb

1

: to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without

never forwent an opportunity of honest profit

—R. L. Stevenson

decided to forgo dessert for a few days

2

archaic : forsake

forgoer

fȯr-ˈgō-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• abjure
• abstain (from)
• forbear
• keep (from)
• refrain (from)
• withhold (from)

Examples of forgo in a Sentence

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

The attack, dystopian in its style and scale, blindsided the group that had opted for analogue technologies after forgoing cell phones to avoid Israeli infiltration. —Tamara Qiblawi, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024

Chris Ware/Getty Images/Hulton Archive In exchange for the agreement — and a $110 million payout — Murdoch Mann agreed to forgo a protracted fight over her share of his media holdings. —David Folkenflik, NPR, 16 Sep. 2024

Along the way, there’s plenty of fun to be had, with the film thankfully forgoing the current animation trend of pop culture references in favor of throwaway jokes delivered in deadpan fashion. —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2024

Biden and Trump chose to forgo one during their face-off in June. —Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

forgo

verb

for·​go

variants also forego

fȯr-ˈgō,

fōr-

forwent

-ˈwent

; forgone -ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; forgoing -ˈgō-iŋ 

: to let pass

forgo an opportunity

: go without

forgo lunch