forewent
fȯr-ˈwent 
; foregone
fȯr-ˈgȯn
; foregone
fȯr-ˈgȯn
also -ˈgän
; foregoing
fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ
: to go before : precede
The story of his mishap forewent him.
fore·go
less common spelling of forgo
1
: to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without
never forwent an opportunity of honest profit—
R. L. Stevenson
R. L. Stevensondecided to forgo dessert for a few days
2
archaic
: forsake
Synonyms
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
Melinda Wenner Moyer, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Leaning into her passion for free speech and justice, Kimberly foregoes her teacher’s advice to protect her future by not showing up to a protest of Nathan Riggs making a speech on campus.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025
Allred, a three-term Dallas congressman who is foregoing a reelection bid in a safe Democratic district, is seeking to unseat Cruz, who as Texas' junior senator enjoys near-universal name recognition in the nation's most populous Republican state.
—Andy Sevilla, Austin American-Statesman, 17 Sep. 2024
By leaving Japan at age 23, Sasaki is foregoing the opportunity to sign the kind of nine-figure contract countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto got two years ago from the Dodgers.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for forego 
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
Some have focused on explaining the immediate risks of foregoing specific vaccines, or have started sharing nongovernment resources that parents may be more likely to trust.
—Melinda Wenner Moyer, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
Leaning into her passion for free speech and justice, Kimberly foregoes her teacher’s advice to protect her future by not showing up to a protest of Nathan Riggs making a speech on campus.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025
Allred, a three-term Dallas congressman who is foregoing a reelection bid in a safe Democratic district, is seeking to unseat Cruz, who as Texas' junior senator enjoys near-universal name recognition in the nation's most populous Republican state.
—Andy Sevilla, Austin American-Statesman, 17 Sep. 2024
By leaving Japan at age 23, Sasaki is foregoing the opportunity to sign the kind of nine-figure contract countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto got two years ago from the Dodgers.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for forego
Articles Related to forego
Dictionary Entries Near forego
Cite this Entry
“Forego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forego. Accessed 4 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share