Definition
Abandoning or giving up something, especially a person or way of life, often with a sense of betrayal or loss.
Etymology
From Old English 'forsacan,' combining 'for-' (used as an intensive) with 'sacan' (to protest or refuse). The word carries weight because it implies a deliberate choice to abandon something once important.
Kelly Says
Forsaking is the word that appears in wedding vows—'to have and to hold...forsaking all others'—which gives it both romantic and solemn weight. The archaic quality of the word makes the commitment feel more serious and permanent than just saying 'won't cheat on you.'
Translations
AMአማርኛ
አንደኛ ነው
an-de-nya neu
ARالعربية
يُهمل
yu-ham-al
BNবাংলা
ত্যাগ কর
tyaag kor
CACatalà
abandonant
a-ban-do-nant
CSČeština
zavrhuje
za-v-ru-je
DADansk
forlader
for-la-der
DEDeutsch
verlassend
fer-laess-end
ELΕλληνικά
απομακρύνεται
a-po-ma-kry-ne-tai
ESEspañol
abandonando
ab-an-don-an-do
FAفارسی
بیتوجه میشود
bi-e-to-zeh-sho-veed
FRFrançais
abandonnant
ab-an-don-nant
HUMagyar
elhagyja
el-ha-gya
IDBahasa Indonesia
meninggalkan
me-ning-gal-kan
ITItaliano
abbandonando
ab-ban-do-nan-do
JA日本語
見捨てている
mi-su-te-te-iru
KKKK
тастап кетіп
ta-stap ke-tip
MSBahasa Melayu
meninggalkan
me-ning-gal-kan
MYမြန်မာ
ပျောက်ကွယ်
pyauk-kwe
NLNederlands
verlaat
ver-laat
NONorsk
forlater
for-la-ter
PLPolski
porzuca
por-zu-ca
PTPortuguês
abandonando
ab-an-do-nan-do
RORomână
părăsește
pa-ra-se-ste
RUРусский
оставляя
o-stav-li-ya
SVSvenska
förlorar
for-lor-ar
SWKiswahili
achana
a-cha-na
TAதமிழ்
விட்டு விடுகிறார்
vi-ttu vi-du-ki-raar
TEతెలుగు
తెచ్చేయి
te-ch-che-yi
TRTürkçe
terk ederek
terk e-de-rek
UKУкраїнська
зупиняється
zu-pi-nya-ye-tsya
URاردو
چھوڑ دیتا ہے
choor di-ta hai
VITiếng Việt
bỏ rơi
bo roi
ZUZU
abantu abashayeliwe
a-bun-tu a-ba-sha-ye-li-we
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Religious marriage vows ('forsaking all others') historically encoded women's obligation to obedience; women who 'forsook' independence were praised, while men's forsaking of other women was assumed.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'commit to' or 'prioritize' for neutral, mutual relationships. In religious contexts, acknowledge that traditional vow language may not reflect modern consent.
Inclusive Alternatives
["commit to","prioritize"]