Word
forgive
Phoneticsfor·give, stress on the second syllable
US/fɝˈɡɪv/
UK/fəɡˈɪv/
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
forgive
Past
forgave
Past participle
forgiven
Definitions
01to pardon a person
B1 · Intermediate
v. to stop feeling angry at someone who has done something wrong or hurt you.
v. to cease to feel resentment against an offender; to waive any desire for retribution against a person.
Español:disculpar
“I eventually managed to forgive him for forgetting our anniversary.”
“It took years of reflection before she could truly forgive her business partner for the betrayal of trust that led to the company's collapse.”
Usage
Takes a direct object (the person) and often the preposition 'for' followed by the offence.
Pitfall
I forgive to him for his mistake.
I forgive him for his mistake.
The verb 'forgive' is transitive and takes the person as a direct object without the preposition 'to'.
02to pardon an action
B1 · Intermediate
v. to stop being angry about a specific mistake or bad behavior.
v. to grant a pardon for a specific act, error, or transgression.
“Please forgive my late reply as I have been away from my desk.”
“The board was willing to forgive the initial accounting errors, provided that the management implemented stricter oversight immediately.”
Usage
The direct object is the action or mistake being pardoned.
Antonyms
03to cancel a debt
B2 · Upper Intermediate Formal
v. to tell someone they no longer have to pay back money they owe you.
v. to remit or waive a debt, obligation, or requirement for payment.
“The bank decided to forgive the student's loan after the accident.”
“International organisations often debate whether to forgive the national debts of developing countries to stimulate global economic growth.”
Usage
Commonly used in financial and legal contexts regarding loans or penalties.
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “forgive” in context.
Verb
01. beg to be forgiven
“The young man returned home to beg to be forgiven for his past actions.”
verb + infinitive
02. forgive and forget
“After their big argument, they decided it was best to forgive and forget.”
verb + and + verb
03. forgive someone for their behavior
“It took a long time for her to forgive him for his rude behavior at the party.”
verb + noun + prep + noun
04. forgive the debt
“The bank agreed to forgive the debt after the company filed for bankruptcy.”
verb + noun
Preposition
05. in a forgiving mood
“The teacher was in a forgiving mood and decided not to punish the students.”
prep + noun
Adverb
06. never forgive
“He swore he would never forgive his brother for lying to the family.”
adv + verb
07. readily forgive
“She is a very kind person who will readily forgive any mistakes you make.”
adv + verb
Real-World Examples
“It was her mental health that led to Patrick Clancy deciding later to forgive her.” “For more than a decade these brothers were sworn enemies; Noel at one point says he “never forgives”.” 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”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Idioms
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/forgive
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0