forgo

Imagine you're offered the last slice of chocolate cake, but you're trying to eat healthier. If you forgo that delicious treat, you choose to give it up. You decide to go without something you want. You might forgo a vacation to save money, or forgo revenge to keep the peace. The word often suggests a small sacrifice, usually for a good reason or a bigger goal. Think of it as saying "no" to something tempting, even though you would enjoy it.

To forgo means to choose to go without something pleasant, useful, or desirable. It usually describes a deliberate decision to give something up or not take it, even though you could have it. It is stronger than simply "missing out" because it suggests choice and sacrifice.

The word comes from Old English forgān. Historically, the sense is close to passing something by or going without it on purpose. It is often confused with forego, which traditionally means to go before in time or place, while forgo is the form used for giving something up. That difference helps show the main idea of the word: an intentional choice not to have or do something.

You might forgo luxuries during hard financial times and spend money only on what you need. A dedicated athlete might forgo late nights out to focus on training, while a diplomat might forgo personal feelings to protect a peaceful relationship. The word often appears with enjoyable things, as in "She decided to forgo the concert," but it can also be used for less concrete things such as opportunities, advantages, or legal rights.

The key idea is choice. When you forgo something, you are not just unable to have it; you decide not to take it or not to do it. That decision may come from self-discipline, practical need, personal values, or long-term goals. So when something appealing is in front of you, forgo is the word for the moment when you consciously decide to let it pass.