Forgo, forbear, abnegate, eschew, sacrifice are comparable when they denote to deny oneself something for the sake of an end.
One forgoes for the sake of policy, expediency, or the welfare of others something already enjoyed or indulged in, or within reach. Often the word implies surrender or abandonment.
One forbears, through motives of prudence, kindness, or charity, doing or saying something one wishes or is tempted to do or say. Forbear usually implies self-restraint.
One abnegates what is intrinsically good but not consistent with one’s aims, principles, or limitations. Often abnegate implies renunciation or self-effacement, but this distinction is not as commonly maintained in the verb as in the derivative noun abnegation.
One eschews (see also ESCAPE 2 ) something tempting, sometimes on moral or aesthetic grounds but more often because abstention or self-restraint is necessary for the achievement of a more significant desire or end.
One sacrifices something highly desirable or in itself of great value for the sake of a person, ideal, or end dearer to one than the thing or person involved; the term typically connotes renunciation and self-denial and a religious or ethical motive comparable to that of self-immolation.