To forsake something means to abandon it completely, or to give it up even though you once valued or relied on it. When pioneers forsook their comfortable homes in the East to journey westward, they left behind everything familiar. When a scientist forsakes an old theory after discovering new evidence, she abandons an idea she once believed in.

The word carries a sense of finality and often some sadness or seriousness. You might forsake a friendship by walking away from someone who needed you, or forsake your principles by acting against what you believe is right. In classic adventure stories, a loyal companion who never forsakes the hero stays by their side through every danger and hardship.

Forsake appears often in older literature and formal writing. In wedding vows, couples sometimes promise not to forsake each other, meaning they won't abandon one another no matter what challenges come. The word suggests something more profound than simply quitting or changing your mind: when you forsake something, you're turning your back on it completely, in a way that matters deeply.