forget

verb

for·​get fər-ˈget 

fȯr-

forgot fər-ˈgät 

fȯr-

; forgotten fər-ˈgä-tᵊn 

fȯr-

or forgot; forgetting

transitive verb

1

a

: to lose the remembrance of : be unable to think of or recall

I forget his name

b

obsolete : to cease from doing

2

: to treat with inattention or disregard

forgot their old friends

He's now a forgotten hero.

3

a

: to disregard intentionally : overlook

—usually used in the imperative

I shouldn't have said that, so just forget it

b

: to give up hope for or expectation of

—usually used in the imperative

as for prompt service, forget it

intransitive verb

1

: to cease remembering or noticing

forgive and forget

2

: to fail to become mindful at the proper time

forgot about paying the bill

forgetter noun

Phrases

forget oneself

: to lose one's dignity, temper, or self-control

She forgot herself because of the liquor she had drunk.

So infuriated him that he forgot himself and had a tantrum.

Synonyms

• disremember
• unlearn

Choose the Right Synonym for forget

neglect, disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, forget mean to pass over without giving due attention.

neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

Examples of forget in a Sentence

I keep forgetting her name.

The pain and misery are impossible to forget.

She forgot how to set up the tent.

I'll never forget the first time we met.

Don't forget that you have to turn off the light when you leave.

“Did you pay the bill?” “I forgot.”

He's now a forgotten hero.

He's a forgotten man in the world of politics.

If you're hoping to hear from him soon, forget it, it's not going to happen.

Forget about finding a way to escape—there's no way out of here.

Recent Examples on the Web

Never forget his iconic diet book, The Karl Lagerfeld Diet. —Keaton Bell, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024

The company could win an appeal, forget about all of this, and go back to business as normal (eventually). —Makena Kelly, WIRED, 12 Dec. 2024

Don’t forget to pair it with shorts like Swift’s too; grab these black sequined shorts for a New Year’s Eve party or girls’ night in. —Shalwah Evans, People.com, 11 Dec. 2024

Not to mention, inconsistency can lead to misplacing or forgetting a gift altogether. —Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English forgietan, from for- + -gietan (akin to Old Norse geta to get)

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing forget

• forget-me-not
• lest we forget

Kids Definition

forget

verb

for·​get fər-ˈget 

fȯr-

forgot -ˈgät  ; forgotten -ˈgät-ᵊn  or forgot; forgetting

1

: to be unable to think of or recall

forgot the address

2

a

: to fail to remember to do something

forgot to call you

forgot about practicing

b

: neglect entry 1 sense 1

forget old friends

3

: overlook sense 3b

I shouldn't have said that, so just forget it

4

: to stop remembering or noticing

forgive and forget

forgetter noun