forsake

verb

for·​sake fər-ˈsāk 

fȯr-

forsook fər-ˈsu̇k 

fȯr-

; forsaken fər-ˈsā-kən 

fȯr-

; forsaking

transitive verb

: to renounce or turn away from entirely

friends have forsaken her

forsook the theater for politics

Synonyms

• abandon
• desert
• leave
• maroon
• quit
• strand

Choose the Right Synonym for forsake

abandon, desert, forsake mean to leave without intending to return.

abandon suggests that the thing or person left may be helpless without protection.

abandoned children

desert implies that the object left may be weakened but not destroyed by one's absence.

a deserted town

forsake suggests an action more likely to bring impoverishment or bereavement to that which is forsaken than its exposure to physical dangers.

a forsaken lover

Examples of forsake in a Sentence

forsaking most of our possessions, we evacuated just before the hurricane struck

Recent Examples on the Web

But is that what drives grown-ups to forsake other activities and pour their efforts into cross-pollinating, feeding and nurturing great pumpkins of sizes Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang could never imagine? —Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY, 12 Oct. 2024

The team could stay in its longtime home and not forsake its fanbase in the city. —Mike D'onofrio, Axios, 18 Sep. 2024

By reducing foreign policy to defense initiatives, the United States is forsaking any meaningful attempt to arrest the underlying causes of future regional insecurity, including extreme inequality, environmental degradation, and kleptocracy. —Van Jackson, Foreign Affairs, 22 Oct. 2021

Being nice to those who’ve been forsaken by others is dangerous. —Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, refinery29.com, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English forsacan, from for- + sacan to dispute; akin to Old English sacu action at law — more at sake

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

forsake

verb

for·​sake fər-ˈsāk 

fȯr-

forsook -ˈsu̇k  ; forsaken -ˈsā-kən  ; forsaking

: to give up or leave entirely

her friends have forsaken her