forsake

verb

for·​sake fər-ˈsāk 

fȯr-

forsook fər-ˈsu̇k 

fȯr-

; forsaken fər-ˈsā-kən 

fȯr-

; forsaking

transitive verb

: to renounce or turn away from entirely

friends have forsaken her

forsook the theater for politics

Synonyms

• abandon
• desert
• leave
• maroon
• quit
• strand

Choose the Right Synonym for forsake

abandon, desert, forsake mean to leave without intending to return.

abandon suggests that the thing or person left may be helpless without protection.

abandoned children

desert implies that the object left may be weakened but not destroyed by one's absence.

a deserted town

forsake suggests an action more likely to bring impoverishment or bereavement to that which is forsaken than its exposure to physical dangers.

a forsaken lover

Examples of forsake in a Sentence

forsaking most of our possessions, we evacuated just before the hurricane struck

Recent Examples on the Web

State anti-book-ban law leads some school districts to forsake grants to maintain local control Editorial: Downtown Chicago needs reimagining. —Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2024

This was not a story about someone who had forsaken her true self to please others. —Alice Gregory, The New Yorker, 2 Dec. 2024

On the global stage, Brazil can once again play a key role in the effort to curb climate change, a project largely forsaken by Bolsonaro. —Hussein Kalout, Foreign Affairs, 15 Mar. 2023

And kudos to Tyler for never forsaking his outsider status for the sake of mainstream exposure, or capitulating to any hip-hop trends over the past decade. —Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 5 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English forsacan, from for- + sacan to dispute; akin to Old English sacu action at law — more at sake

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

forsake

verb

for·​sake fər-ˈsāk 

fȯr-

forsook -ˈsu̇k  ; forsaken -ˈsā-kən  ; forsaking

: to give up or leave entirely

her friends have forsaken her