forego

1 of 2

verb (1)

fore·​go fȯr-ˈgō How to pronounce forego (audio)
forewent fȯr-ˈwent How to pronounce forego (audio) ; foregone fȯr-ˈgȯn How to pronounce forego (audio)
also -ˈgän
 ; foregoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce forego (audio)
-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ
 ; foregoes fȯr-ˈgōz How to pronounce forego (audio)
Synonyms of foregonext

transitive verb

: to go before : precede
The story of his mishap forewent him.
foregoer
fȯr-ˈgō-ər How to pronounce forego (audio)
noun

forego

2 of 2

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

Synonyms of forego

Relevance

Verb (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

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
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
Larry will forego any opportunity to do things that are offered to him. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 27 June 2026 And not to get too technical, but the raglan part of it all refers to the sleeve construction, which foregoes shoulder seams for a clean finish. — Fred Sahai, Vogue, 12 May 2026 But the safest option is to forego personal fireworks and opt for a professional show, where fire crews are usually on standby. — ABC News, 1 July 2026 This summer is on track to be an especially hot one which means beauty aficionados who don’t want to forego their makeup routines entirely need a good primer. — Essence Wiley, InStyle, 30 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for forego

Word History

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

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

Rhymes for forego

See All Rhymes for forego

Browse Nearby Words

foreglimpse
forego
foregoer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forego. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

forego

1 of 2 verb
fore·​go fōr-ˈgō How to pronounce forego (audio)
fȯr-
forewent
-ˈwent
 ; foregone -ˈgȯn How to pronounce forego (audio)
also -ˈgän
 ; foregoing -ˈgō-iŋ How to pronounce forego (audio)
: to go before : precede
foregoer
-ˈgō(-ə)r How to pronounce forego (audio)
noun

forego

2 of 2

variant of forgo

More from Merriam-Webster on forego

Nglish: Translation of forego for Spanish Speakers

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