From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishforsakefor‧sake /fəˈseɪk $ fər-/ verb (past tense forsook /-ˈsʊk/, past participle forsaken /-ˈseɪkən/) [transitive] formal 1 ALLEAVE A RELATIONSHIPto leave someone, especially when you should stay because they need you SYN abandon children forsaken by their parents2 STOP DOING somethingto stop doing, using, or having something that you enjoy SYN give up She will never forsake her vegetarian principles.3 LEAVE A PLACEto leave a place, especially when you do not want to He has forsaken his native Finland to live in Britain. → godforsaken→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
forsake• If Barlaston can be saved, no other major country house need be forsaken.• Disappointed customers and forsaken employees pretty much had to tough it out alone.• They have a certain vibrancy, an eye-catching quality, and they go for impact without forsaking good taste.• Gwendolyn begged Hugo not to forsake her.• More than 80 older men and women have forsaken retirement to help at local schools.• They were as welcoming as ever; a little surprised because they had thought I had forsaken them.• When science forsakes this basis it loses its way.Origin forsake Old English forsacan 