Adjacent Words

Forswear definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

FORSWEAR, v.t. pret. forswore; pp. forsworn. See Swear and Answer.]
1. To reject or renounce upon oath.
2. To deny upon oath.
Like innocence, and as serenely bold as truth, how loudly he forswears thy gold.
To forswear one's self, is to swear falsely; to perjure one's self.
Thou shalt not forswear thyself. Matthew 5.
FORSWEAR, v.i. To swear falsely; to commit perjury.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: formally reject or disavow a formerly held belief, usually under pressure; "He retracted his earlier statements about his religion"; "She abjured her beliefs" [syn: abjure, recant, forswear, retract, resile]

Merriam Webster's

also foreswear verb (forswore; forsworn; -swearing) Etymology: Middle English forsweren, from Old English forswerian, from for- + swerian to swear Date: before 12th century transitive verb 1. to make a liar of (oneself) under or as if under oath 2. a. to reject or renounce under oath b. to renounce earnestly 3. to deny under oath intransitive verb to swear falsely Synonyms: see abjure

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (past forswore; past part. forsworn) 1 abjure; renounce on oath. 2 (as forsworn adj.) perjured. Phrases and idioms: forswear oneself swear falsely; perjure oneself. Etymology: OE forswerian (as FOR-, SWEAR)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Forswear For*swear", v. t. [imp. Forswore; p. p. Forsworn; p. pr. & vb. n. Forswearing.] [OE. forsweren, forswerien, AS. forswerian; pref. for- + swerian to swear. See For-, and Swear, v. i.] 1. To reject or renounce upon oath; hence, to renounce earnestly, determinedly, or with protestations. I . . . do forswear her. --Shak. 2. To deny upon oath. Like innocence, and as serenely bold As truth, how loudly he forswears thy gold! --Dryden. To forswear one's self, to swear falsely; to perjure one's self. ``Thou shalt not forswear thyself.'' --Matt. v. 33. Syn: See Perjure.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Forswear For*swear", v. i. To swear falsely; to commit perjury. --Shak.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(forswears, forswearing, forswore, forsworn) If you forswear something, you promise that you will stop doing it, having it, or using it. (FORMAL or LITERARY) The party was offered a share of government if it forswore violence. = renounce VERB: V n

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

for-swar'.

See CRIMES.

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Renounce (upon oath), reject, leave, quit, desert, forsake, abandon, drop. 2. Deny, abjure, recant, retract, renounce.

Moby Thesaurus

abandon, abdicate, abjure, acknowledge defeat, assert the contrary, back down, back out, backwater, belie, brush aside, cease, cede, chuck, chuck out, climb down, contemn, contest, contradict, contravene, controvert, counter, crawfish out, cross, cry quits, decline, deny, desist from, despise, disaffirm, disallow, disapprove, disavow, discard, disclaim, discontinue, discount, disdain, disgorge, dismiss, disown, dispense with, dispose of, disprove, dispute, disregard, do without, drop, dump, eat crow, eat humble pie, except, exclude, forgo, gainsay, get along without, get rid of, give away, give over, give up, hand over, have done with, ignore, impugn, join issue upon, kiss good-bye, lay down, leave off, make a sacrifice, not accept, not admit, nullify, oppose, palinode, part with, pass by, pass up, push aside, quitclaim, rebuff, recall, recant, refuse, refuse to admit, refuse to consider, refute, reject, relinquish, render up, renege, renounce, repel, repudiate, repulse, resign, retract, revoke, sacrifice, scout, shove away, spare, spurn, stop, surrender, swallow, swear off, take back, take issue with, take the pledge, throw away, throw out, throw up, turn away, turn out, unsay, vacate, waive, withdraw, yield