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.

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Recent Examples on the Web

And don't forget to check out our full list of 2023's Best of Beauty winners, including top picks in the Skin Care, Clean Beauty, and Splurges categories. —Liana Schaffner, Allure, 21 Sep. 2023

Most exciting are artisanal products whose designers approach engineering challenges with clean-sheet solutions, or just as exciting, with technology that has been forgotten for eons and is being newly reimagined. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2023

The lacrima grape was forgotten until a group of growers in Le Marche, including Sergio Landi, worked to revive it and preserve a taste of regional history. —Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023

Never forget that meaningful relationships must be tended to with intentionality. —Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 20 Sep. 2023

Don’t forget to stop at the Dallas Arboretum to see the spectacular fall blooms and to see its renowned pumpkin show. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 20 Sep. 2023

But don’t forget: the Chargers had the ball first in overtime, and Justin Herbert did not complete a pass, giving the Titans the chance to win the game. —Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2023

Fools have forgotten hip-hop’s essence and are lazy. —Spin Staff, Spin, 11 Sep. 2023

But whatever happens in the political drama, the budget reality not to forget is that the deficit for the fiscal year that ends this month is officially projected to be $1.7 trillion, or about $13,500 for every U.S. household. —The Editorial Board, WSJ, 11 Sep. 2023

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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
• forget oneself

• forget-me-not
• lest we forget
• forget oneself

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