"forsay" meaning in English

See forsay in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /fəˈseɪ/ [Received-Pronunciation], /fəɹˈseɪ/ [General-American] Forms: forsays [present, singular, third-person], forsaying [participle, present], forsaid [participle, past], forsaid [past]
Rhymes: -eɪ 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. Etymology templates: {{inh|en|enm|forsayen||to renounce}} Middle English forsayen (“to renounce”), {{inh|en|ang|forseċġan||to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on}} Old English forseċġan (“to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on”), {{prefix|en|for|say}} for- + say, {{cog|nl|verzeggen|t=to deny, forbid}} Dutch verzeggen (“to deny, forbid”), {{cog|nds-de|verseggen|t=to refuse, deny}} German Low German verseggen (“to refuse, deny”), {{cog|de|versagen||to refuse, deny}} German versagen (“to refuse, deny”), {{cog|sv|försäga||to misspeak, say too much}} Swedish försäga (“to misspeak, say too much”) Head templates: {{en-verb|+|+|forsaid}} forsay (third-person singular simple present forsays, present participle forsaying, simple past and past participle forsaid)
  1. (archaic) to forbid; to renounce Tags: archaic
    Sense id: en-forsay-en-verb-WarWfl9V Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with for-, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 60 29 11 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with for-: 43 38 19 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 58 22 20 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 74 14 13 Synonyms: abjure, disavow, forswear, abjure, deny, disavow, disclaim, disown, forsay [archaic], forswear, renounce, repudiate, wash one's hands of
  2. (archaic) to deny, gainsay Tags: archaic
    Sense id: en-forsay-en-verb-aZcHFoFK Categories (other): English terms prefixed with for- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with for-: 43 38 19
  3. (archaic) to forsake Tags: archaic
    Sense id: en-forsay-en-verb-ipE7arIk Categories (other): English terms prefixed with for- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with for-: 43 38 19

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "forsayen",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to renounce"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English forsayen (“to renounce”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "forseċġan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English forseċġan (“to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "for",
        "3": "say"
      },
      "expansion": "for- + say",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "verzeggen",
        "t": "to deny, forbid"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch verzeggen (“to deny, forbid”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "verseggen",
        "t": "to refuse, deny"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German verseggen (“to refuse, deny”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "versagen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to refuse, deny"
      },
      "expansion": "German versagen (“to refuse, deny”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "försäga",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to misspeak, say too much"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish försäga (“to misspeak, say too much”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "forsays",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "forsaying",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "forsaid",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "forsaid",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "+",
        "2": "+",
        "3": "forsaid"
      },
      "expansion": "forsay (third-person singular simple present forsays, present participle forsaying, simple past and past participle forsaid)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "60 29 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "43 38 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with for-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "58 22 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 14 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              26,
              32
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Maye. Ægloga Quinta.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "worldly sovenance he must forsay",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to forbid; to renounce"
      ],
      "id": "en-forsay-en-verb-WarWfl9V",
      "links": [
        [
          "forbid",
          "forbid"
        ],
        [
          "renounce",
          "renounce"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) to forbid; to renounce"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "abjure"
        },
        {
          "word": "disavow"
        },
        {
          "word": "forswear"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "abjure"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "deny"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "disavow"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "disclaim"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "disown"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "tags": [
            "archaic"
          ],
          "word": "forsay"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "forswear"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "renounce"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "repudiate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "wash one's hands of"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "43 38 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with for-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to deny, gainsay"
      ],
      "id": "en-forsay-en-verb-aZcHFoFK",
      "links": [
        [
          "deny",
          "deny"
        ],
        [
          "gainsay",
          "gainsay"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) to deny, gainsay"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "43 38 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with for-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to forsake"
      ],
      "id": "en-forsay-en-verb-ipE7arIk",
      "links": [
        [
          "forsake",
          "forsake"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) to forsake"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fəˈseɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fəɹˈseɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪ"
    }
  ],
  "word": "forsay"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English terms prefixed with for-",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪ",
    "Rhymes:English/eɪ/2 syllables"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "forsayen",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to renounce"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English forsayen (“to renounce”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "forseċġan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English forseċġan (“to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "for",
        "3": "say"
      },
      "expansion": "for- + say",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "verzeggen",
        "t": "to deny, forbid"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch verzeggen (“to deny, forbid”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nds-de",
        "2": "verseggen",
        "t": "to refuse, deny"
      },
      "expansion": "German Low German verseggen (“to refuse, deny”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "versagen",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to refuse, deny"
      },
      "expansion": "German versagen (“to refuse, deny”)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "försäga",
        "3": "",
        "4": "to misspeak, say too much"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish försäga (“to misspeak, say too much”)",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "forsays",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "forsaying",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "forsaid",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "forsaid",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "+",
        "2": "+",
        "3": "forsaid"
      },
      "expansion": "forsay (third-person singular simple present forsays, present participle forsaying, simple past and past participle forsaid)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              26,
              32
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Maye. Ægloga Quinta.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "worldly sovenance he must forsay",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to forbid; to renounce"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "forbid",
          "forbid"
        ],
        [
          "renounce",
          "renounce"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) to forbid; to renounce"
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "abjure"
        },
        {
          "word": "disavow"
        },
        {
          "word": "forswear"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "abjure"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "deny"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "disavow"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "disclaim"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "disown"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "tags": [
            "archaic"
          ],
          "word": "forsay"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "forswear"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "renounce"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "repudiate"
        },
        {
          "source": "Thesaurus:repudiate",
          "word": "wash one's hands of"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to deny, gainsay"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "deny",
          "deny"
        ],
        [
          "gainsay",
          "gainsay"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) to deny, gainsay"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with archaic senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "to forsake"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "forsake",
          "forsake"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(archaic) to forsake"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/fəˈseɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/fəɹˈseɪ/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-eɪ"
    }
  ],
  "word": "forsay"
}

Download raw JSONL data for forsay meaning in English (4.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-16 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (d6fca27 and 65e1673). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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