renege
/ri'ni:g/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To fail to fulfill a promise, commitment, or obligation.
- To go back on one's word; to break a promise or agreement.
Usage
The verb "renege" is used to describe the act of not doing what one has previously promised or agreed to do. It often implies a betrayal of trust or a failure to honor a commitment. It is typically followed by the preposition "on" when specifying the promise or agreement.
Examples
- Verb:
- The company reneged on its contract to provide the materials.
- He promised to help, but he reneged at the last minute.
- You can't trust someone who constantly reneges on their promises.
Advanced Usage
- "to renege on a deal/promise/agreement/contract": This is the most common construction, specifying what was broken.
- After shaking hands, it is considered very dishonorable to renege on a deal.
Variants and Related Words
- Renegement (n, rare): The act of reneging.
- Reneger (n): A person who reneges.
Synonyms
- Go back on: To fail to keep a promise.
- Break: To fail to observe a law, promise, or agreement.
- Back out (of): To withdraw from a commitment.
- Default on: To fail to fulfill an obligation, especially a financial one.
Phrasal Verbs
- Reneging is not typically used with particles to form phrasal verbs. The standard construction is "renege on."
Related Idioms
- "To go back on one's word": This idiom is a direct synonym for "renege."
- He said he would support us, but he went back on his word.
Noun
- the mistake of not following suit when able to do so
Verb
- fail to fulfill a promise or obligation
- She backed out of her promise