forgive

for|give

S3 [fəˈgıv US fər-] v past tense forgave [-ˈgeıv] past participle forgiven [-ˈgıvən]

[I and T]

[: Old English; Origin: forgifan]

1.) to stop being angry with someone and stop blaming them, although they have done something wrong

forgive sb for (doing) sth

▪ I've tried to forgive him for what he said.

▪ He never forgave her for walking out on him.

forgive myself/yourself etc

▪ If anything happened to the kids I'd never forgive myself .

you're forgiven

spoken (=used to tell someone that you are not angry with them)

▪ 'I'm really sorry.' 'It's okay, you're forgiven.'

forgive sb sth

▪ God forgives us our sins.

▪ He didn't look the sort of man to forgive and forget (=forgive someone and no longer think about it) .

2.) forgive me

spoken used when you are going to say or do something that might seem rude or offensive and you want it to seem more polite

▪ Forgive me, but I don't think that is relevant.

forgive me for asking/saying etc sth also forgive my asking/saying etc

▪ Forgive me for saying so , but that's nonsense.

▪ Forgive my phoning you so late.

3.) sb can be forgiven for thinking/believing/feeling etc sth

used to say that it is easy to understand why someone might think or do something

▪ You could be forgiven for thinking football is a religion here.

4.) forgive a debt/loan

formal if a country or organization forgives a debt, it says that the money does not have to be paid back

= ↑write off

▪ Saudi Arabia's decision to forgive the debt owed by the poorest Islamic countries