Dictionary

forgive en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /fɚˈɡɪv/ (General-American)
• /fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• fər-gĭv' (Received-Pronunciation)
• /fɔː(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (California) audio
• fôr-gĭv' (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Alteration (due to give) of Middle English foryiven, forȝiven, from Old English forġiefan (“to forgive, to give”), from Proto-West Germanic *frageban, from Proto-Germanic *fragebaną (“to give away; give up; release; forgive”), equivalent to for- + give (etymologically for- + yive). Cognate with Scots forgeve, forgif, forgie (“to forgive”), West Frisian ferjaan (“to forgive”), Dutch vergeven (“to forgive”), German vergeben (“to forgive”), Icelandic fyrirgefa (“to forgive”), Yiddish פֿאַרגעבן (fargebn, “to forgive”)

Meanings

1. (transitive) To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against.
   • Forgive us our trespasses.
   • Forgive others, not because they deserve forgiveness, but because you deserve peace.
   • Please forgive me if my phone goes off - I'm expecting an urgent call from my boss.
2. (transitive) To pardon (something); to waive any negative feeling over or retribution for.
   • What? Are we all just supposed to forgive this? This guy messed up in the worst possible way he could! Now we have nothing! 2026 June 19, Gooseworx, “Remember” (1:19 from the start), in The Amazing Digital Circus, episode 9, spoken by Jax (Michael Kovach):
   • ... to forgive their crimes. 2021 April 27, Zachary Schrag, The Princeton Guide to Historical Research, Princeton University Press, →ISBN, page 30:
   • Forgive these wild and wandering cries, ⁠Confusions of a wasted youth; ⁠Forgive them where they fail in truth, And in thy wisdom make me wise. 1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], “Prologue”, in In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
3. (transitive) To waive or remit (a debt), to absolve from payment or compensation of.
   • In several months you’re likely to have a clearer picture on how your state intends to treat your forgiven PPP loan and the deductibility of your business expenses not just for tax year 2020 but also tax year 2021. 2021 February 23, Jeanne Sahadi, “So you got a PPP loan? Here’s what that means for your state taxes”, in CNN Business:
   • Forgive a debt, that is, tell a debtor that a repayment of a loan is no longer needed.
4. (intransitive) To accord forgiveness.
   • The brave know only how to forgive […] A coward never forgave; it is not in his nature. a. 1768, Laurence Sterne, Joseph's History considered; - Forgiveness of Injuries (sermon)
5. (transitive) To look past; to look beyond.
   • The music critic loves the instrumentation of the song so much that he can forgive the confusing lyrics.
6. (transitive) To redeem; to offset the bad effects of something.
   • Okay, a good hook forgives everything. 2015, Todd in the Shadows, The Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2014:

Forms

Deriveds

forgiver · forgivability · forgiving · forgive and forget · reforgive · misforgive · forgiveless · forgive but don't forget · unforgive · unforgiver · forgive my French · forgiveness · forgivable

Translations (178)

uk проща́ти ((''transitive'') to pardon) · km អភ័យទោស ((''transitive'') to pardon) · am ይቅር ማለት ((''transitive'') to pardon) · th ยกโทษ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · be дарава́ць ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sh opròstiti ((''transitive'') to pardon) · fa-ira بَخْشیدَن ((''transitive'') to pardon) · uz kechirmoq ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ru извиня́ть ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sq fal ((''transitive'') to pardon) · kk ғафу ету ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pt desculpar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · uk прости́ти ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pl darowywać ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sh opráštati ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ps بخښل ((''transitive'') to pardon) · tt кичерергә ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ab анажьра ((''transitive'') to pardon) · bn ক্ষমা করা ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pl wybaczać ((''transitive'') to pardon) · cy maddau ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ur مُعَاف کَرْنا ((''transitive'') to pardon) · es disculpar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · is fyrirgefa ((''transitive'') to pardon) · mi muru ((''transitive'') to pardon) · mn ᠠᠭᠤᠴᠢᠯᠠᠬᠤ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · lt atleisti ((''transitive'') to pardon) · tk bagyşlamak ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pro perdonar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · he סָלַח ((''transitive'') to pardon) · da tilgive ((''transitive'') to pardon) · vi tha ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sk odpúšťať ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ltg pīdūt ((''transitive'') to pardon) · nb tilgi ((''transitive'') to pardon) · th อภัย ((''transitive'') to pardon) · tet perdua ((''transitive'') to pardon) · uk пробача́ти ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ca perdonar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · la redōnō ((''transitive'') to pardon) · izh antaa anteeks ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pl wybaczyć ((''transitive'') to pardon) · zdj usamihi ((''transitive'') to pardon) · mk про́штава ((''transitive'') to pardon) · mk про́сти ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ast perdonar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · et andestama ((''transitive'') to pardon) · tk razylaşmak ((''transitive'') to pardon) · mk про́стува ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ja 許す ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sl odpuščati ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ug كەچۈرمەك ((''transitive'') to pardon) · enm forȝiven ((''transitive'') to pardon) · yue 寬恕 /宽恕 ((''transitive'') to pardon) · oc perdonar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · uli hatoralog ((''transitive'') to pardon) · nn tilgjeva ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ka პატიება ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pt perdoar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · tr bağışlamak ((''transitive'') to pardon) · orv простити ((''transitive'') to pardon) · hy ներել ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ru миловать ((''transitive'') to pardon) · yue 饒恕 /饶恕 ((''transitive'') to pardon) · kix vâkìuh ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sa मृडति ((''transitive'') to pardon) · tt бәхилләргә ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pl przebaczać ((''transitive'') to pardon) · kk кешірім жасау ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sw -samehe ((''transitive'') to pardon) · eu barkatu ((''transitive'') to pardon) · id mengampuni ((''transitive'') to pardon) · az bağışlamaq ((''transitive'') to pardon) · cmn 寬恕 /宽恕 ((''transitive'') to pardon) · wlc uswamihi ((''transitive'') to pardon) · lt dovanoti ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ga maith do ((''transitive'') to pardon) · da forlade ((''transitive'') to pardon) · mk опро́стува ((''transitive'') to pardon) · rsk одпущиц ((''transitive'') to pardon) · tt гафу итәргә ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ug ئەپۇ قىلماق ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ru прости́ть ((''transitive'') to pardon) · be прабача́ць ((''transitive'') to pardon) · nn orsaka ((''transitive'') to pardon) · nb forlate ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ota باغشلامق ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ky кечирип коюу ((''transitive'') to pardon) · eo pardoni ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ru помиловать ((''transitive'') to pardon) · yi פֿאַרגעבן ((''transitive'') to pardon) · hi मुआफ़ करना ((''transitive'') to pardon) · cs odpouštět ((''transitive'') to pardon) · yi מוחל זײַן ((''transitive'') to pardon) · rsk пребачиц ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pl odpuścić ((''transitive'') to pardon) · my အခွင့်လွှတ် ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ang forġiefan ((''transitive'') to pardon) · cu простити ((''transitive'') to pardon) · la veniam do ((''transitive'') to pardon) · vo pardön ((''transitive'') to pardon) · yue 原諒 /原谅 ((''transitive'') to pardon) · th ยกโทษให้ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · got 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌹𐌱𐌰𐌽 ((''transitive'') to pardon) · nds-de vergeven ((''transitive'') to pardon) · bg простя́ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · uz afv etmoq ((''transitive'') to pardon) · fy ferjou ((''transitive'') to pardon) · tg бахшидан ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sk odpustiť ((''transitive'') to pardon) · bg опростя́ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · cmn 饒恕 /饶恕 ((''transitive'') to pardon) · et andeks andma ((''transitive'') to pardon) · km អត់ទោស ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ko 용서하다 ((''transitive'') to pardon) · bg опроща́вам ((''transitive'') to pardon) · km ប្រណី ((''transitive'') to pardon) · fr pardonner ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ja 容赦する ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ckb لێخۆشبوون ((''transitive'') to pardon) · bg проща́вам ((''transitive'') to pardon) · yi שענקען ((''transitive'') to pardon) · gd math ((''transitive'') to pardon) · roa-opt perdõar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · grc ἀφίημι ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ka მიტევება ((''transitive'') to pardon) · io pardonar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · kk кешіру ((''transitive'') to pardon) · lb verginn ((''transitive'') to pardon) · my ခွင့်လွှတ် ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sv förlåta ((''transitive'') to pardon) · hi क्षमा करना ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ta மன்னி ((''transitive'') to pardon) · lo ອະໄພ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ms memaafkan ((''transitive'') to pardon) · cs odpustit ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ar سَامَحَ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · la iustificō ((''transitive'') to pardon) · la ignōscō ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pl odpuszczać ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ar غَفَرَ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ln límbisa ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sl odpustiti ((''transitive'') to pardon) · lb verzeien ((''transitive'') to pardon) · nl vergeven ((''transitive'') to pardon) · fi antaa anteeksi ((''transitive'') to pardon) · lv piedot ((''transitive'') to pardon) · it perdonare ((''transitive'') to pardon) · gl perdoar ((''transitive'') to pardon) · rup ljert ((''transitive'') to pardon) · grc χαρίζομαι ((''transitive'') to pardon) · el συγχωρώ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · tr affetmek ((''transitive'') to pardon) · lo ໃຫ້ອະໄພ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · th ให้อภัย ((''transitive'') to pardon) · id memaafkan ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ota عفو اتمك ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sh опро̀стити ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ru извини́ть ((''transitive'') to pardon) · vi tha thứ ((''transitive'') to pardon) · de verzeihen ((''transitive'') to pardon) · alt јаманын таштадар ((''transitive'') to pardon) · cmn 原諒 /原谅 ((''transitive'') to pardon) · uk проба́чити ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sga do·lugai ((''transitive'') to pardon) · kk ғапу ету ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pl darować ((''transitive'') to pardon) · hi माफ़ करना ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ky кечирүү ((''transitive'') to pardon) · la condōnō ((''transitive'') to pardon) · mn уучлах ((''transitive'') to pardon) · crh afu etmek ((''transitive'') to pardon) · sh опра́штати ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ru проща́ть ((''transitive'') to pardon) · pl przebaczyć ((''transitive'') to pardon) · ro ierta ((''transitive'') to pardon) · hu megbocsát ((''transitive'') to pardon) · be праба́чыць ((''transitive'') to pardon)