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Meaning & use

forgo

verb·Academicformal

Last updated

UK/fɔːˈɡəʊ/
US/fɔːrˈɡoʊ/

Meaning

  1. verbtransitiveformal

    To do without something you could have, or to give up a chance or pleasure on purpose.

    Grammar: Takes an object: she forwent dessert, not she forwent.

    Patterns

    • forgo something
    • forgo doing something
    • forgo something in favor of something

    The mayor decided to forgo her salary until the budget improved.

    Many fans will forgo sleep to watch the final live.

    He forwent a vacation so he could pay off the loan sooner.

Word forms

third person singularforgoes
past tenseforwent
past participleforgone
-ing formforgoing

Common combinations

forgo a bonus
The directors agreed to forgo their bonuses this year.
forgo the pleasure of
I will forgo the pleasure of another meeting, if you do not mind.
forgo your right to
By signing, you forgo your right to sue the company.
forgo dessert
She chose to forgo dessert and have a second coffee.
willing to forgo
Few people are willing to forgo comfort for the sake of the planet.

Synonyms and how they differ

do without
Do without is the everyday phrasal verb, while forgo sounds more formal and stresses a deliberate choice.
give up
Give up is broader and can mean quitting a habit or surrendering, whereas forgo usually refers to passing up something offered.
waive
Waive is used for rights, fees, or rules and is common in legal or official language, not for pleasures like food.
sacrifice
Sacrifice implies a real loss made for a bigger purpose, while forgo can describe a small choice.

Opposites

indulge intake up

Word family

forgone adjective
given up or already decided in advance, as in a forgone conclusion
forgoing noun
the act of going without something
go verb
the plain verb that forms the base of the word
forgoer noun
a person who gives something up, a rare word

Commonly confused: forgo or forego?

forgo vs forego

Forego means to go before something in time or place, as in the foregoing paragraph, while forgo means to do without.

Practice

The athletes agreed to ___ their usual holiday meals to stay in shape before the finals.

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