[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/forsooth/)

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# forsooth

interjection (old use, no change)

«forsooth» in the English dictionary: everyday and Early Modern English — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

(old use) Forsooth means in truth or indeed, said to add emphasis, often in a teasing or scornful way. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forsooth/#m1)

### In the lessons

a word in old stories and plays, put in to sound old-fashioned, often to mock a claim: «As if there were no lads here, forsooth!»

### Examples

- Have you grown so bashful, forsooth? [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forsooth/#x1)
- As if there were no lads in our village, forsooth! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forsooth/#x2)
- It is a great sin to dishonour Mother Friday, forsooth! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forsooth/#x3)

### Note

nothing for maths

## Early Modern English

### Meaning

in truth or indeed; used to add emphasis, often mockingly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/F/forsooth/#m1)

### Then and now

No longer used in everyday speech; today we say really or honestly.

### Examples

- Have you grown so bashful, forsooth? (Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/F/forsooth/#x1)
- As if there were no lads in our village, forsooth! (Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/F/forsooth/#x2)
- It's a great sin to dishonor Mother Friday--combing and spinning flax, forsooth! (Russian Fairy Tales: A Choice Collection of Muscovite Folk-lore) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/F/forsooth/#x3)

### Note

Today: really, indeed.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «forsooth» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/forsooth/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«forsooth» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/forsooth.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «forsooth» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/emode/F/forsooth/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«forsooth» in the Early Modern English dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/emode/w/forsooth.html) on Mova free.

