Which of the following is a formal definition? When you forgive someone, you actually free yourself. If you cannot find a way to forgive, you hold negative emotions that only damage you, not the other person. To forgive means that you let go of negative emotions about someone else. Mark Twain wrote this thought-provoking definition of what it means to forgive: "Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it." To forgive is a verb that means you stop feeling anger or resentment toward someone who has offended or hurt you, or for a mistake or flaw.