forewent
fȯr-ˈwent
; foregone
fȯr-ˈgȯn
also -ˈgän
; foregoing
fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ
; foregoes
fȯr-ˈgōz
: 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 …—Robert Louis Stevenson
decided to forgo dessert for a few days …
2
archaic
: forsake
variants
or less commonly forego
forwent
fȯr-ˈwent
; forgone
fȯr-ˈgȯn
also -ˈgän
; forgoing
fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ
; forgoes
fȯr-ˈgōz
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
: 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
c
d
: the foreganger of a harpoon
Cite this Entry
“Forego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forego. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.
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