forgive

verb

fər-ˈgiv How to pronounce forgive (audio)
Definition of forgivenext
1
as in to pardon
to cease to have feelings of anger or bitterness toward it is not easy to forgive those who have hurt us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to ignore
to dismiss as of little importance he has so many good qualities that I guess we can forgive a slight penchant for exaggeration

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb forgive differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of forgive are condone, excuse, and pardon. While all these words mean "to exact neither punishment nor redress," forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.

could not forgive their rudeness

When is condone a more appropriate choice than forgive?

The words condone and forgive can be used in similar contexts, but condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it.

a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics

When might excuse be a better fit than forgive?

In some situations, the words excuse and forgive are roughly equivalent. However, excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these. Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

excuse an interruption
excused them for interrupting
injustice excuses strong responses

When could pardon be used to replace forgive?

While the synonyms pardon and forgive are close in meaning, pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.

pardon a criminal

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of forgive Not everybody is predisposed to forgive and forget. —Dave Skretta, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2025 This is one of the situations where even the most fervent ‘anti-muted celebration’ crowd could forgive a player for toning things down a bit. —Nick Miller, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025 One could be forgiven in thinking, then, that Lamborghini has even more SUVs on the way. —Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 8 Apr. 2025 The teen’s maternal relatives cut Jen out entirely, and even her father's side of the family refused to forgive him for his betrayal. —Ashley Vega, People.com, 7 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for forgive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgive
  1. pardon
  2. ignore
  3. overlook
  4. explain
  5. excuse
  6. justify
Verb
  • Newsom received approval from the California Supreme Court to pardon Penry, a requirement when someone has more than one felony conviction.
    — Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2025
  • While Hunter Biden was convicted on the gun charges and pleaded guilty on the tax charges, his father ultimately pardoned him.
    — Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of pardon
Verb
  • However, Catherine was unimpressed by him going overboard — and ignoring the importance of bedside manner — in the clinic.
    — Stephanie Wenger, People.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year.
    — Louryn Strampe, Wired News, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of ignore
Verb
  • The mission began in fairly standard form: The SEALs infiltrated a bleak and dusty corner of Ramadi that happened to overlook a marketplace and, unbeknownst to them, also sat across from the lair of the Iraqi insurgents.
    — Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 10 Apr. 2025
  • This approach allows organizations to cultivate lifelong relationships with new supporters for whom standard fundraising strategies may have previously overlooked. 7.
    — Larry Bomback, Forbes.com, 9 Apr. 2025
Definition of overlook
Verb
  • It was explained to the passengers that a concentration of plankton had drawn swarms of small fish to the area; the concentration of small fish had attracted larger fish, which devoured the smaller fish; these predators attracted larger predators, to devour them.
    — Joyce Carol Oates, The New Yorker, 16 Mar. 2025
  • Figure explains this innovative approach.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of explain
Verb
  • Until Henry momentarily excuses himself from the table, that is, and the person or persons behind these winky-wink messages tell her to poison Henry ASAP or the menacing guy currently hiding in her apartment will kill her boy.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2025
  • The 2025 Masters is here, and more than Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele will be on display this week at Augusta National Golf Club for all the fans — excuse us, patrons — to bear witness to.
    — Hugh Kellenberger, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
Definition of excuse
Verb
  • The myth that trans women are a danger to cis women is a grossly transphobic stereotype with almost no real-world justification, but Rowling pins most of her anti-trans arguments on it, using her experience as a survivor of domestic abuse to justify her prejudice.
    — Aja Romano, Vox, 18 Apr. 2025
  • As a result, the court ordered the Environmental Protection Agency to either determine whether greenhouse gases from new vehicles contribute to climate change, and therefore endanger human health, or justify its refusal to study the issue.
    — Hannah Wiseman, The Conversation, 18 Apr. 2025
Definition of justify

Phrases Containing forgive

Browse Nearby Words

forgivable
forgive
forgive and forget
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Forgive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgive. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

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