Reneged is a verb meaning to go back on a promise, agreement, or commitment, especially after agreeing to it. It implies breaking a stated or implied obligation. In usage, it often describes someone who withdraws or retracts from a pledge, typically under pressure or conflicting interests.
"She reneged on the agreement after discovering the terms were unfavorable."
"The contractor reneged on the contract, citing unreasonable demands."
"After promising to volunteer, he reneged when a better opportunity arose."
"The company reneged on the deal, triggering a breach notice from the client."
Reneged comes from the phrase renegue, which itself derives from the French reneguer meaning to go back or to refuse. The form entered English via early modern legal and nautical usage, often used in the sense of reversing a pledge or contract. The root elements trace to re- (again) and negare (to deny), merging over time with English -ged participial forms. In the 17th–18th centuries, reneging was tied to oaths, treaties, and civic obligations, carrying a strong negative connotation of betrayal or breach. By the 19th century, reneged was used more broadly to describe withdrawing from promises in personal, political, and commercial domains, solidifying its current sense of breaking a commitment after agreeing to it. First known uses appear in legal records and naval logs, where captains or parties would accuse others of reneging on terms or alliances, reinforcing the moral and legal weight of the action.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Reneged" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Reneged"
-ged sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Reneged is pronounced re-NEGED with the primary stress on the second syllable. In IPA US/UK/AU: /rɪˈnɛɡd/. The final -ed is a voiced d, so the ending sounds like 'ged' as in 'begged.' Position your tongue high to mid for the /n/ and /ɛ/ vowel, close lips around the /ɡ/ stop, and land the /d/ with a light release. You’ll feel a slight vowel relaxation before the /ɡ/.
Common mistakes include: misplacing stress (saying re-NEGED with equal stress), mispronouncing the /ɡ/ as a /k/ or /t/ sound (giving it a hard- stop misarticulation), and turning the /ɪ/ into a schwa or a different vowel. Correct by ensuring a clear /ɹ/ onset, a tense /ɛ/ in the stressed syllable, intermediary /n/ and a crisp /ɡ/ plus final /d/. Practice with minimal pairs and slow syllable-tapping to anchor the sequence.
Across US, UK, and AU, the core /rɪˈnɛɡd/ structure remains, but rhoticity affects the starting /r/ and vowel qualities. US and AU both feature rhotic /r/ with a clearer /ɹ/ onset. UK tends to a smoother /ɪ/ after r, and some speakers may reduce to /rɪˈneɡd/ with slightly lighter rhotics. Vowel length and tension in /ɛ/ can vary; Australians may have more centralized vowel coloration. Overall, the stress remains on the second syllable, with minor timing differences in pre-tonal intonation.
The difficulty sits in the concise consonant cluster -ned at the end and the mid-front vowel /ɛ/ in the stressed syllable. Many learners blend the /ɡ/ and /d/ into a single stop unnecessarily, producing /ɡd/ as a single sound. The onset /r/ in rapid speech can be subtle, causing wavering perception of the initial syllable. Focus on the 're-' prefix with a short, crisp /r/ and lead into the stressed /ˈnɛɡd/ with a firm alveolar stop for /d/.
In Reneged, the /ɡ/ is a hard velar stop as in 'go' followed by the /d/; you pronounce a light but distinct /ɡ/ before the /d/, yielding /ɡd/ as a quick sequence. The velar /ɡ/ is reinforced by a short following vowel before the final /d/. Don’t skip or soften the /ɡ/—avoid /nd/ or /ndʒ/ blends. Aim for a clean transition from /n/ to /ɡ/ to /d/.
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