forgive Definition
for·give (fər giv′, fôr-)
transitive verb -·gave′, -·giv′en, -·giv′·ing
- to give up resentment against or the desire to punish; stop being angry with; pardon
- to give up all claim to punish or exact penalty for (an offense); overlook
- to cancel or remit (a debt)
Etymology: ME forgeven < OE forgiefan, forgifan (akin to Ger vergeben): see for- & give
intransitive verb
to show forgiveness; be inclined to forgive
forgive Related Forms
forgive Synonyms
forgive
v.
To cease to resent
pardon, overlook, dismiss from the mind, efface from the memory, pocket the affront, forgive and forget, let pass, palliate, excuse, condone, remit, forget, relent, bear no malice, exonerate, exculpate, let bygones be bygones, laugh it off, let it go, kiss and make up, bury the hatchet, turn the other cheek, charge to experience, make allowance, let up on*, write off*, charge off*; see also forget 1.Antonyms
blame, resent, retaliate. To absolve
acquit, pardon, release; see absolve, excuse. See syn. study at absolve.
forgive Usage Examples
Object
- sin: They had come to Jesus in order to have their sins forgiven.
- pun: Forgive the pun, but ' first hand ' evidence is still vitally important.
- sinner: We're both sinners forgiven through the death of Jesus.
- trespass: A spirit that would forgive all trespasses of prior wrong doing for just a simple moment of your time?
- debt: Shall we not forgive the small debts that others owe us?
- someone: For the times we tore down the new kingdom by refusing to forgive someone who did us wrong, we are sorry.
Preposition: through
death: We're both sinners forgiven through the death of Jesus.
Adjective complement
me.: Pray forgive me. ' I told him I forgave perfectly and waited.
Modifying Another Word
- never: Had anyone been run over i'd never forgive them.
- freely: If he holds anger against us, we must freely forgive in the heart and do all we can to make it right.
- readily: And God, who is so severely offended forgives so readily.
- publicly: They publicly forgave their son's killers at his funeral and turned their grief away from seeking justice and into sustained efforts for charity.
- please: However anyone expecting another ' Please Forgive Me ' or ' Everything I Do ' may be a little disappointed.
- ever: We will never, ever forgive or pity him.
Used with why or when
- whatever: Paul says - God says to us through Paul forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.
- when: I fear, my gift will be a little late, but you will forgive when you know how exceptionally busy I have been.
- what: The problem is: how can he forgive what we've done wrong without it looking as if right and wrong don't matter?
- whom: Then He forgives whom He pleases and chastises whom He Pleases; and Allah is over everything Potent " ( ii.
Preposition: of
sin: The need to be forgiven of sin was greater than the need for healing.
Preposition: for
feeling: DM, via email A: You can be forgiven for feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Browse dictionary entries near forgive
- ‹ forgivable
- ‹ forging
- ‹ forgetfulness
- ‹ forgetful
- ‹ forget oneself
- ‹ forget-me-not
- ‹ forget
- ‹ forgery
- ‹ forger
- ‹ forge
- forgiven ›
- forgiveness ›
- forgiving ›
- forgo ›
- forgot ›
- forgotten ›
- Forgy, Howell Maurice ›
- forint ›
- forjudge ›
- fork ›

