forswear
/fɔːˈswɛː
/ /fəˈswɛː/verb (past forswore /fɔːˈswɔː/ /fəˈswɔː/; past participle forsworn /fɔːˈswɔːn/ /fəˈswɔːn/) [with object]
1 formal Agree to give up or do without: the country has not forsworn nuclear weapons...
- Over the past 20 years, incentives have been used to successfully encourage other emergent and existing nuclear weapons powers to forswear the bomb, making the world a much safer place.
- But there's no requirement that people cease or forswear political opposition.
- Around 1800 male dress changed: men forswore exhibitionism and renounced brightly coloured, erotic attire.
Synonyms
renounce, swear off, forgo, abjure, reject, relinquish, abstain from, refrain from, shun, avoid, eschew, do without, go without, steer clear of, give a wide berth to, have nothing to do with, decline, refuse, repudiate, spurn;
give up, dispense with, stop, cease, finish, discontinue, break off, drop, cut out
informal kick, quit, jack in
2 (forswear oneself/be forsworn) archaic Commit perjury; swear falsely: I swore that I would lead us safely home and I do not mean to be forsworn...
- ‘It is the Lord's will that I forswear myself,’ he said.
- As king, Idomeneus is forsworn and must lose his royalty.
- I have no desire to be forsworn, not on that oath.
Origin
Old English forswerian (see for-, swear).