renege

English

WOTD – 21 October 2006

Alternative forms

• re-nig

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin renegō, from negō (“I deny”). Possibly influenced by renegotiate. See also renegade.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈn(e)ɪɡ/, /ɹɪˈniːɡ/, /ɹiːˈnɛɡ/, /ɹiːˈn(e)ɪɡ/
• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈneɪɡ/, /ɹɪˈniːɡ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  ,

  Audio (US):

  (file)

Verb

1. (intransitive) To break a promise or commitment; to go back on one's word.
   • 2011 February 5, Michael Kevin Darling, “Tottenham 2 - 1 Bolton”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     Just before half-time, Clattenburg awarded Spurs a penalty for the third time after a handball in the area but he reneged after realising that the linesman had flagged Crouch offside in the build-up.

2. (intransitive) In a card game, to break one's commitment to follow suit when capable.
3. (transitive, archaic) To deny; to renounce
   • c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
     : Act I, Scene i:

     Nay, but this dotage of our generall
     Ore-flowes the meaſure: thoſe his goodly eyes,
     That o're the files and muſters of the Warre,
     Have glow'd like plated Mars:
     now bend, now turne
     The Office and Devotion of their view
     Vpon a Tawny front. His captaines heart,
     Which in the ſcuffles of great fights hath burſt
     The Buckles on his breaſt, reneages all temper,
     And is become the bellowes and the Fan
     To coole a Gypſies Luſt.

   • Sylvester

     All Europe high (all sorts of rights reneged) / Against the truth and thee unholy leagued.

Related terms

• abnegate
• negate (and its related terms)
• negative
• neglect
• négligée
• negotiate

 

Translations

break a promise or commitment

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 食言 (zh) (shíyán)

• Dutch: belofte breken
• Finnish: rikkoa lupaus, syödä sanansa; pettää (fi)
• French: manquer à la parole
• German: (sein) Wort brechen, nicht Wort halten
• Greek: αθετώ (el) (athetó)
• Persian: جا زدن (jâ zadan)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: изменя́ть своему́ сло́ву (izmenjátʹ svojemú slóvu)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: прекр́шити рије̑ч

  Roman: prekŕšiti rijȇč

• Spanish: faltar a la palabra, faltar a su palabra

card games: fail to follow suit when capable

• Dutch: verzaken (nl)
• Russian: де́лать рено́нс (délatʹ renóns)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

deny, renounce

• Dutch: verloochenen (nl), afzweren (nl)
• Finnish: kieltää (fi)
• German: verleugnen (de)
• Russian: отка́зываться (ru) (otkázyvatʹsja)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: отка́зати

  Roman: otkázati (sh)

References

• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “renege”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• Greene, greene