forswear

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: for=swear

CIDE DICTIONARY

forswear, v. t. [OE. forsweren, forswerien, AS. forswerian; pref. for- + swerian to swear. See For-, and Swear, v. i.].

•  To reject or renounce upon oath; hence, to renounce earnestly, determinedly, or with protestations.  [1913 Webster]

  "I . . . do forswear her."  [1913 Webster]
•  To deny upon oath.  [1913 Webster]

  "Like innocence, and as serenely bold
  As truth, how loudly he forswears thy gold!"  [1913 Webster]

To forswear one's self, to swear falsely; to perjure one's self. “Thou shalt not forswear thyself.” Matt. v. 33.

Syn. -- See Perjure.

forswear, v. i. 

 To swear falsely; to commit perjury.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

forswear, v.tr. (past forswore; past part. forsworn)
1 abjure; renounce on oath.
2 (as forsworn adj.) perjured.

Idiom

forswear oneself swear falsely; perjure oneself.

Etymology

OE forswerian (as FOR-, SWEAR)

THESAURUS

forswear

abandon, abdicate, abjure, acknowledge defeat, assert the contrary, back down, back out, backwater, belie, brush aside, cease, cede, chuck, chuck out, climb down, contemn, contest, contradict, contravene, controvert, counter, crawfish out, cross, cry quits, decline, deny, desist from, despise, disaffirm, disallow, disapprove, disavow, discard, disclaim, discontinue, discount, disdain, disgorge, dismiss, disown, dispense with, dispose of, disprove, dispute, disregard, do without, drop, dump, eat crow, eat humble pie, except, exclude, forgo, gainsay, get along without, get rid of, give away, give over, give up, hand over, have done with, ignore, impugn, join issue upon, kiss good-bye, lay down, leave off, make a sacrifice, not accept, not admit, nullify, oppose, palinode, part with, pass by, pass up, push aside, quitclaim, rebuff, recall, recant, refuse, refuse to admit, refuse to consider, refute, reject, relinquish, render up, renege, renounce, repel, repudiate, repulse, resign, retract, revoke, sacrifice, scout, shove away, spare, spurn, stop, surrender, swallow, swear off, take back, take issue with, take the pledge, throw away, throw out, throw up, turn away, turn out, unsay, vacate, waive, withdraw, yield

ROGET THESAURUS

forswear

Tergiversation

VB change one's mind, change one's intention, change one's purpose, change one's note, abjure, renounce, withdraw from, waver, vacillate, wheel round, turn round, veer round, turn a pirouette, go over from one side to another, pass from one side to another, change from one side to another, skip from one side to another, go to the rightabout, box the compass, shift one's ground, go upon another tack, apostatize, change sides, go over, rat, recant, retract, revoke, rescind, recall, forswear, unsay, come over, come round to an opinion, crawfish, crawl, draw in one's horns, eat one's words, eat the leek, swallow the leek, swerve, flinch, back out of, retrace one's steps, think better of it, come back return to one's first love, turn over a new leaf, trim, shuffle, play fast and loose, blow hot and cold, coquet, be on the fence, straddle, bold with the hare but run with the hounds, nager entre deux eaux, wait to see how the cat jumps, wait to see how the wind blows.

Refusal

VB refuse, reject, deny, decline, turn down, nill, negative, refuse one's assent, withhold one's assent, shake the head, close the hand, close the purse, grudge, begrudge, be slow to, hang fire, pass (at cards), be deaf to, dismiss, turn a deaf ear to, turn one's back upon, set one's face against, discountenance, not hear of, have nothing to do with, wash one's hands of, stand aloof, forswear, set aside, cast behind one, not yield an inch, resist, cross, not grant, repel, repulse, shut the door in one's face, slam the door in one's face, rebuff, send back, send to the right about, send away with a flea in the ear, deny oneself, not be at home to, discard, spurn, rescind, disclaim, protest, dissent.

Dereliction of Duty

VB violate, break, break through, infringe, set aside, set at naught, encroach upon, trench upon, trample on, trample under foot, slight, neglect, evade, renounce, forswear, repudiate, wash one's hands of, escape, transgress, fail, call to account.

Improbity

VB be dishonest, play false, break one's word, break one's faith, break one's promise, jilt, betray, forswear, shuffle, live by one's wits, sail near the wind, disgrace oneself, dishonor oneself, demean oneself, derogate, stoop, grovel, sneak, lose caste, sell oneself, go over to the enemy, seal one's infamy.

Falsehood

VB be false, be a liar, speak falsely, tell a lie, lie, fib, lie like a trooper, swear false, forswear, perjure oneself, bear false witness, misstate, misquote, miscite, misreport, misrepresent, belie, falsify, pervert, distort, put a false construction upon (misinterpret), prevaricate, equivocate, quibble, palter, palter to the understanding, repondre en Normand, trim, shuffle, fence, mince the truth, beat about the bush, blow hot and cold, play fast and loose, garble, gloss over, disguise, give a color to, give a gloss, put a gloss, put false coloring upon, color, varnish, cook, dress up, embroider, varnish right and puzzle wrong, exaggerate, blague, invent, fabricate, trump up, get up, force, fake, hatch, concoct, romance, cry 'wolf!', dissemble, dissimulate, feign, assume, put on, pretend, make believe, play possum, play false, play a double game, coquet, act a part, play a part, affect, simulate, pass off for, counterfeit, sham, make a show of, malinger, say the grapes are sour, cant, play the hypocrite, sham Abraham, faire pattes de velours, put on the mask, clean the outside of the platter, lie like a conjuror, hand out false colors, hold out false colors, sail under false colors, commend the poisoned chalice to the lips, ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces, deceive.