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

: to fail to remember to bring or take

I forgot my wallet.

c

obsolete : to cease from doing

2

: to treat with inattention or disregard

forgot their old friends

He's now a forgotten hero.

They told jokes … that made Chona laugh and forget the pain.

—James McBride

—often used with about

Your plants need care; don't forget about them.

3

a

: to disregard intentionally : overlook

—usually used in the imperative

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

—often used with about

Forget about the trip. We can't afford 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

It's time to forgive and forget.

2

: to fail to become mindful at the proper time

forgot about paying the bill

forgetter noun

see also:

forget oneself

Synonyms of forget

• miss
• lose

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

Really, the challenge as an actor is forgetting all the playfulness, ambition and tone around it, or even the books and the research and just playing the truth of it. — Matt Minton, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026

Yet 20 minutes later, it was long forgotten during a graceful balance beam routine that brought her to within striking distance of the lead. — CBS News, 10 Aug. 2026

For drivers, don’t forget the experts that contextualize the inevitable problems on your route. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 9 Aug. 2026

No Way Home—at the time, the last of the franchise in Holland’s contract—but he’s since taken on various roles across movie, theatre and television; not forgetting the role of Telemachus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. — Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Aug. 2026

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
• forget oneself
• lest we forget

Rhymes for forget

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• binet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette

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