forgo
Voluntarily do without
To forgo is to do without something, usually by choice: I'll forgo dessert tonight.
The word implies voluntary abstention—you could have the thing but decide against it.
Often confused with its near-twin forego, which means to go before, though forgo has largely absorbed both meanings in modern usage.
Formally give up
- relinquishVoluntarily give up control
- abstainDeliberately not do
- refrainAbstain from acting
- eschewDeliberately abstain from
waive · surrender · sacrifice · yield · decline · reject · pass up · skip
Restraining one's own desires
- abnegationRejection of oneself
- altruismPrioritizing others' wellbeing
- selflessnessPrioritizing others over oneself
- martyrdomSuffering for conviction
devotion · penance · atonement · offering · surrender · concession · trade-off · cost
Ability to restrain impulses
- restraintControl over impulses
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
- willpowerMental strength resisting impulse
- temperanceHabitual moderation in behavior
moderation · self-discipline · self-regulation · abstinence · determination · fortitude · resolve · resistance
renounce
Formally give up
- relinquishVoluntarily give up control
- abstainDeliberately not do
- refrainAbstain from acting
eschew · waive · surrender · sacrifice · yield · decline · reject · pass up · skip · omit
postpone
Delay to later time
hold off · shelve · table · suspend · wait · adjourn · reschedule · stay · pause · set aside
self-denial
Restraining one's own desires
- abnegationRejection of oneself
- altruismPrioritizing others' wellbeing
- selflessnessPrioritizing others over oneself
martyrdom · devotion · penance · atonement · offering · surrender · concession · trade-off · cost · loss
self-control
Ability to restrain impulses
- restraintControl over impulses
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
- willpowerMental strength resisting impulse
temperance · moderation · self-discipline · self-regulation · abstinence · determination · fortitude · resolve · resistance · self-restraint
- abandonmentabandon, abandoned, forsake, desert, leave
- abstinencesobriety, celibacy, chastity, teetotalism, fasting
- tradeoffstradeoff, compromise, cost-benefit, risk-reward, give-and-take
- opt-outsopt out, unsubscribe, decline, refuse, withdraw
- frugalityfrugality, thrift, frugal, penny-pinching, economize
- giving upgive up, giving up, quit, quitting, surrender