Forgo
/fɔːrˈɡoʊ/
Definitions
To abstain from or give up something; to do without.
/fɔːrˈɡoʊ/
To abstain from or do without something.
They had to forgo their usual evening walk because of the rain.
💡 Simply: It means to choose *not* to do something you might normally do, like skipping dessert or giving up a fun activity.
👶 For kids: To decide not to have or do something.
More Examples
To save money, we'll have to forgo that fancy vacation.
He decided to forgo the promotion to spend more time with his family.
How It's Used
"The company decided to forgo its annual bonus program due to financial constraints."
"She had to forgo her vacation to take care of her sick mother."
"The knight chose to forgo his own comforts for the sake of his quest."
From Old English *foregān* ('to go before, precede'), a combination of 'fore-' (before) and 'go'. It evolved to mean to abstain from or do without.
Historically, 'forgo' was used more broadly to mean 'to precede', but its usage has evolved to primarily signify 'to do without'.
Memory tip
Think of "forego" as going *forward* without something. You decide to *go* without it.
Word Origin
"To go before; to give up"