Meaning & use

forsake

verb·Advanced

To abandon or give up someone or something completely, especially in a way that feels like betrayal.

See it in a sentence

He refused to forsake his childhood friends, even after becoming famous.

She could not forsake her principles, no matter how much pressure she faced.

A note on using this word

Forsake is formal and literary, often carrying strong emotional weight of loyalty broken, as in wedding vows or scripture.

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