Synonyms of forego

transitive verb

: to go before : precede
The story of his mishap forewent him.

forego

2 of 4

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
variants or less commonly forego
forwent fȯr-ˈwent How to pronounce forgo (audio) ; forgone fȯr-ˈgȯn How to pronounce forgo (audio)
also -ˈgän
also foregone; forgoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce forgo (audio)
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ
also foregoing; forgoes
fȯr-ˈgōz
also foregoes

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

foregoer

4 of 4

noun

: one that goes before: such as
a
obsolete : a messenger sent ahead (as a king's purveyor) : forerunner
b
: one that leads or goes in the van : example
d
: the foreganger of a harpoon

Synonyms of forego

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 Verb (3) 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
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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
Verb
Waitlists for child care assistance exploded, forcing low-income households to sideline a parent from the workforce or forgo necessities to foot a child care bill. — Moriah Balingit, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 Waitlists for childcare assistance exploded, forcing low-income households to sideline a parent from the workforce or forgo necessities to foot a childcare bill. — ABC News, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forego

Word History

Etymology

Verb (3)

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

Noun

Middle English forgoer, foregoer, from forgon + -er

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (3)

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of forego was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forego. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

forego

1 of 2 verb
: to go before : precede

forego

2 of 2

variant of forgo

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