forswore

He forswore his old habits and started a new life.

Definition

Verb (past tense of ):
- To swear to give up something: "forswore" means to have formally and solemnly promised to abandon a habit, practice, or belief.
- To renounce under oath: To have declared, often with a legal or binding oath, that one will no longer engage in or accept something.
- To commit perjury: In legal or moral contexts, "forswore" (especially as "forswore oneself") means to have sworn falsely, i.e., to have lied under oath.

Usage Examples

To renounce a habit:
- He forswore smoking after his doctor's warning. (He made a solemn promise to stop smoking.)
To abandon a belief:
- The monk forswore all worldly possessions. (He formally gave up material goods.)
To commit perjury:
- The witness forswore herself during the trial. (She lied while under oath.)
Historical or literary context:
- She forswore her allegiance to the kingdom. (She publicly rejected her loyalty.)

Advanced Usage

"Forswore one's word": to break a promise or oath.
- He forswore his word when he failed to repay the debt. (He broke his solemn promise.)
"Forswore the world": to withdraw from society or worldly concerns.
- The hermit forswore the world and lived in solitude. (He renounced social life.)

Variants and Related Words

Forswear (verb, base form): to swear to give up or renounce.
- I forswear all violence. (I promise to avoid violence.)
Forsworn (past participle): having been given up or renounced under oath.
- He is a forsworn enemy of corruption. (He has publicly sworn to oppose corruption.)
Forswearer (noun): a person who renounces or abjures something.
- The forswearer of luxury lived simply. (The person who had given up luxury.)

Synonyms

Phrasal Verbs

Related Idioms

"Forsworn one's oath": to break a formal promise.
- The knight forswore his oath of loyalty. (He broke his sworn pledge.)
"Forsworn to silence": sworn to keep a secret.
- She was forsworn to silence about the plan. (She had promised not to speak.)