forsake

[ fawr-seyk ]
See synonyms for: forsakeforsakenforsakingforsook on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),for·sook [fawr-sook], /fɔrˈsʊk/, for·sak·en, for·sak·ing.
  1. to quit or leave entirely; abandon; desert: She has forsaken her country for an island in the South Pacific.

  2. to give up or renounce (a habit, way of life, etc.).

Origin of forsake

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English forsaken “to deny, reject,” Old English forsacan, equivalent to for- prefix meaning “away, off” + sacan “to dispute”; see for-

synonym study For forsake

1. See desert2.

Other words for forsake

Other words from forsake

  • for·sak·er, noun
  • un·for·sak·ing, adjective

Words Nearby forsake

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use forsake in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for forsake

forsake

/ (fəˈseɪk) /


verb-sakes, -saking, -sook (-ˈsʊk) or -saken (-ˈseɪkən) (tr)
  1. to abandon

  2. to give up (something valued or enjoyed)

Origin of forsake

1
Old English forsacan

Derived forms of forsake

  • forsaker, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012