forsake
for-SAYK
/fərˈseɪk/
To abandon, desert, or give up entirely.
Implies leaving someone or something you have a moral obligation to support, often leaving them in a vulnerable state.
The story behind the word. Forsake comes from the Old English 'forsacan', where 'for-' means completely or away, and 'sacan' means to dispute or accuse. Originally, it meant to decline or refuse after a dispute, which evolved into completely giving up or abandoning.
Word relationships
- abandon: Abandon is a general term for leaving something behind, while forsake carries a stronger moral or emotional weight of broken commitment.
- cherish: Cherish means to protect and care for lovingly, the exact opposite of abandoning or forsaking.
Commonly confused with
- forego: Forego (or forgo) means to decide to do without something, while forsake means to abandon a person or principle.
Word family
- forsaken (adjective): Abandoned or deserted.
Collocations
- forsake one's principles
- forsake a friend
- never forsake
Idioms & expressions
- leave in the lurch
- leave high and dry
Example sentences
- "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" A classic biblical or literary expression of abandonment.
Memory hook
Think of 'for sake'. You leave someone behind 'for the sake' of your own selfish interests. Leaving for your own sake.
When not to use
Do not use for temporarily leaving a place; it implies a permanent and often hurtful abandonment.
Fun facts
- The root 'sacan' in Old English is also related to the word 'sake' (as in 'for the sake of'), which originally meant a legal cause or lawsuit.
Related words
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