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

transitive verb

: to go before : precede
The story of his mishap forewent him.
foregoer 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 profitR. L. Stevenson
decided to forgo dessert for a few days
2
archaic : forsake

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
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Verb
The Twilight actress attended the April 7 screening of her forthcoming movie, Sacramento, in Los Angeles and decided to forego a formal dress — or a whole top — for the event. Starr Bowenbank, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025 After Madison delivers her final farewell, the singer walks off-camera, foregoing the traditionally warm Studio 8H goodnights with the cast. Claire Franken, TVLine, 30 Mar. 2025 Astrov said that the prospect of a wave of bankruptcies could prompt the CBR to forego its inflation target and lower the key interest rate. Barbara A. Perry, Newsweek, 28 Jan. 2025 Leaning into her passion for free speech and justice, Kimberly foregoes her teacher’s advice to protect her future by not showing up to a protest of Nathan Riggs making a speech on campus. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forego.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/forego. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.

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 noun

forego

2 of 2

variant of forgo

More from Merriam-Webster on forego

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