English vocabulary · C1
Forgo
/fɔrˈɡoʊ/ · v.
To forgo something is to choose not to have or do it. You let it go because another choice matters more to you.
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Example sentences
- He forgoes dessert to save money.
- For more sleep, I forgo coffee.
Word origin and roots
from Old English
- for — away (from Old English)
- go — move (from Old English)
Synonyms and nuances
- SKIP — not do or take (Leave One Thing Out)
- WAIVE — choose not to claim (Give Up A Right)
- SACRIFICE — give up for more (Lose For A Goal)
Words with the same root
go — move
- go — move somewhere
- undergo — experience something
- ago — before now
Lesson notes
To forgo something is to choose not to have or do it. You let it go because another choice matters more to you.
Related: skip, waive, sacrifice. Use forgo when you choose to go without something.
He forgoes dessert to save money. For more sleep, I forgo coffee.
From Old English. For- means away. Go- means move. Away plus move: you move away and forgo it.