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
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
forsaking most of our possessions, we evacuated just before the hurricane struck
Recent Examples on the Web Can scheduling challenges and revenue potential finally compel Notre Dame to forsake its independent status in football? 
Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 5 July 2022 The Good News: God always hears your cries and will never forsake you. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 2 Aug. 2022 While so many women are told to forsake their natural gray hair, one bride just proved gray can be the most gorgeous color of them all. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 16 July 2022 One of the most important men of the Bible, Abraham swore never to forsake God and to follow Him in all things. Martha Sorren, Woman's Day, 11 July 2022 The odds are that many of those pure tech heads-down developers will go for the more technical or technologically revered metric and forsake the other, such as skirting around the interface at the benefit of getting the least amount of code. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 July 2022 Afterwards, Russia’s larger warships had to forsake shore-bombardment missions targeting the area around Odessa and pulled further back in the Black Sea to avoid the surveillance/strike range of Ukraine’s coastal missiles. Sebastien Roblin, Forbes, 17 June 2022 Persevere in the faith, cast off all fear and keep your heart strong; God will never forsake you. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 4 May 2022 Unlike her husband Allen, who is willing to forsake his brothers to lead a more modern life in line with Brenda's upbringing, she's unabashedly attracted to his family name. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 29 Apr. 2022 See More
Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 5 July 2022 The Good News: God always hears your cries and will never forsake you. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 2 Aug. 2022 While so many women are told to forsake their natural gray hair, one bride just proved gray can be the most gorgeous color of them all. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 16 July 2022 One of the most important men of the Bible, Abraham swore never to forsake God and to follow Him in all things. Martha Sorren, Woman's Day, 11 July 2022 The odds are that many of those pure tech heads-down developers will go for the more technical or technologically revered metric and forsake the other, such as skirting around the interface at the benefit of getting the least amount of code. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 July 2022 Afterwards, Russia’s larger warships had to forsake shore-bombardment missions targeting the area around Odessa and pulled further back in the Black Sea to avoid the surveillance/strike range of Ukraine’s coastal missiles. Sebastien Roblin, Forbes, 17 June 2022 Persevere in the faith, cast off all fear and keep your heart strong; God will never forsake you. Elizabeth Berry, Woman's Day, 4 May 2022 Unlike her husband Allen, who is willing to forsake his brothers to lead a more modern life in line with Brenda's upbringing, she's unabashedly attracted to his family name. Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 29 Apr. 2022 See More 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
forsook
-ˈsu̇k
; forsaken -ˈsā-kən
; forsaking : to give up or leave entirely
Don't forsake your friends.
forsaking 1 of 2
noun
as in abandonment
the act of abandoning his hard-hearted forsaking of his wife and children was truly unforgivable Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- abandonment
- desertion
- dumping
- defection
- jettisoning
- discard
- dereliction
- tergiversation
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- reclamation
- retention
- retrieval
- repossession
- recoupment
forsaking
2 of 2verb
as in leaving
to cause to remain behind forsaking most of our possessions, we evacuated just before the hurricane struck Synonyms & Similar Words
- leaving
- abandoning
- deserting
- stranding
- dumping
- discarding
- marooning
- jettisoning
- ditching
- quitting
- relinquishing
- sacrificing
- renouncing
- flinging
- shedding
- walking away from
- ignoring
- scrapping
- escaping
- junking
- abjuring
- disowning
- vacating
- rejecting
- walking out on
- repudiating
- surrendering
- neglecting
- forgetting
- disregarding
- yielding
- distancing
- throwing away
- delivering
- throwing out
- cutting off
- giving up
- shucking (off)
- handing over
- retreating (from)
- withdrawing (from)
- taking off (from)
- separating (from)
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- keeping
- retaining
- owning
- having
- reclaiming
- holding
- possessing
- withholding
- saving
- reserving
- harboring
- rescuing
- redeeming