forgo

verb

for·​go fȯr-ˈgō 

variants or less commonly forego

forwent fȯr-ˈwent  ; forgone fȯr-ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; forgoing fȯr-ˈgō-iŋ 

-ˈgȯ(-)iŋ

transitive verb

1

: to give up the enjoyment or advantage of : do without

never forwent an opportunity of honest profit

—R. L. Stevenson

decided to forgo dessert for a few days

2

archaic : forsake

forgoer

fȯr-ˈgō-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• abjure
• abstain (from)
• forbear
• keep (from)
• refrain (from)
• withhold (from)

Examples of forgo in a Sentence

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

Trend reports from Expedia and Booking.com show vacationers are forgoing splashy trips to global hot spots in favor of quieter trips to places that are lesser-known — and far less crowded. —Monica Pitrelli, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2024

Quince is built on the model of forgoing the middleman between itself and factories, which chief executive officer and cofounder Sid Gupta said is one of the big reasons why brands mark up their products. —Layla Ilchi, WWD, 18 Oct. 2024

The statute to adjust medical guidelines that Vance cited during the debate, supporters say, was intended to allow families and physicians to forgo medical intervention in rare times infants are delivered with fatal health complications. —Avery Lotz, Axios, 6 Oct. 2024

Executives agreed to forgo their annual bonuses for 2025 unless their turnaround plan succeeds. —Queenie Wong, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

forgo

verb

for·​go

variants also forego

fȯr-ˈgō,

fōr-

forwent

-ˈwent

; forgone -ˈgȯn 

 also  -ˈgän

; forgoing -ˈgō-iŋ 

: to let pass

forgo an opportunity

: go without

forgo lunch