renege

• renage, reneague, reneg, re-nig, renegue

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

• (US) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈnɛɡ/, /ɹɪˈnɪɡ/, /ɹɪˈneɪɡ/, /ɹiː-/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈneɪɡ/, /ɹɪˈniːɡ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

  ,

  Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: (US) -ɛɡ, (US) -ɪɡ, -eɪɡ, (Received Pronunciation) -iːɡ

renege (third-person singular simple present reneges, present participle reneging, simple past and past participle reneged)

1. (intransitive) To break a promise or commitment; to go back on one's word. [(often) with on]
   • 2010, Dolly Freed, Possum Living, page 149:

     Previously I promised not to proselytize miserism, but now I want to renege a little on that promise. If your family income is anywhere near average, you can scrimp and save and cut back for maybe two to four years […]

   • 2011 February 5, Michael Kevin Darling, “Tottenham 2 - 1 Bolton”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     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, card games) 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, [Act I, scene i]:

     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.

   • 1608, Josuah Sylvester, The Sepmaines of Du Bartas:

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

• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “renege”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• Greene, greene