Nominal Forms
Infinitive: to forswear
Participle: forsworn
Gerund: forswearing
Cognates
-
Indicative
Present
| I | forswear |
| you | forswear |
| he;she;it | forswears |
| we | forswear |
| you | forswear |
| they | forswear |
Perfect
| I | have forsworn |
| you | have forsworn |
| he;she;it | has forsworn |
| we | have forsworn |
| you | have forsworn |
| they | have forsworn |
Past
| I | forswore |
| you | forswore |
| he;she;it | forswore |
| we | forswore |
| you | forswore |
| they | forswore |
Pluperfect
| I | had forsworn |
| you | had forsworn |
| he;she;it | had forsworn |
| we | had forsworn |
| you | had forsworn |
| they | had forsworn |
Future
| I | will forswear |
| you | will forswear |
| he;she;it | will forswear |
| we | will forswear |
| you | will forswear |
| they | will forswear |
Future Perfect
| I | will have forsworn |
| you | will have forsworn |
| he;she;it | will have forsworn |
| we | will have forsworn |
| you | will have forsworn |
| they | will have forsworn |
Subjunctive
Present
| I | forswear |
| you | forswear |
| he;she;it | forswear |
| we | forswear |
| you | forswear |
| they | forswear |
Perfect
| I | have forsworn |
| you | have forsworn |
| he;she;it | have forsworn |
| we | have forsworn |
| you | have forsworn |
| they | have forsworn |
Imperfect
| I | forswore |
| you | forswore |
| he;she;it | forswore |
| we | forswore |
| you | forswore |
| they | forswore |
Pluperfect
| I | had forsworn |
| you | had forsworn |
| he;she;it | had forsworn |
| we | had forsworn |
| you | had forsworn |
| they | had forsworn |
Conditional
Present
| I | would forswear |
| you | would forswear |
| he;she;it | would forswear |
| we | would forswear |
| you | would forswear |
| they | would forswear |
Perfect
| I | would have forsworn |
| you | would have forsworn |
| he;she;it | would have forsworn |
| we | would have forsworn |
| you | would have forsworn |
| they | would have forsworn |
Imperative
| you | forswear |
| we | Let's forswear |
| you | forswear |
Verbs similar to 'forswear'
forsweal,
forbear,
forehear,
forspeak,
forswart,
forswelt,
forwean,
forweary,
forwweary,
fooster,
Additional Information
Phrasal Verbs
Etymology
1. O.E.
forswerian "swear falsely," also "abandon or renounce on oath," from
for- "completely" +
swerian "to swear."
2. From Middle English forsweren, from Old English forswerian (“to swear falsely”). Cognate with Old Saxon farswerian, Old High German farsweren, German verschwören. More at for- + swear. See: Middle English '
forsweren', Old English '
forswerian', German, old spelling '
verschwören'.
Verbs referencing "forswear"
German, old spelling
verschwören, Cimbrian vorsbéeran.
Sample Sentences
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We forswear allegiance and support for the Economic Freedom Fighters.
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Never to woo her more; but do forswear her. [1592, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew:]
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Like Innocence, and as serenely bold / As Truth, how loudly He forswears thy Gold!. [1726, John Dryden, translating Juvenal, Satires:]
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Long since he had given up every intention of returning to civilization, and now he had decided to see no more his black friends of the Waziri. He had forsworn humanity forever. He had started life an ape—as an ape he would die. [1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 198:]
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Either forswear fucking others or the affair is over. [1995, Philip Roth, Sabbath's Theater:]
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The sheer unimaginableness of coming into her mouth — of coming into anything other than the air or a tissue or a dirty sock — was an allurement too stupendous for a novice to forswear. [2008, Philip Roth, Indignation:]
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Over the past two years, Silicon Valley’s leaders and investors — many of whom had once forsworn involvement in weapons and war — have plunged headfirst into the military industrial complex. [2025 August 4, Sheera Frenkel, “The Militarization of Silicon Valley”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 05 Aug 2025:]