# forsay

> English word · Verb · IPA /fə(ɹ)ˈseɪ/

## Definitions
1. to forbid; to renounce
2. to deny, gainsay
3. to forsake

## Etymology
From Middle English forsayen (“to renounce”), from Old English forseċġan (“to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on”), equivalent to for- + say. Cognate Dutch verzeggen (“to deny, forbid”), German Low German verseggen (“to refuse, deny”), German versagen (“to refuse, deny”), Swedish försäga (“to misspeak, say too much”). More at for-, say.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/forsay