forget

play

verb for·get \ fər-ˈget , fȯr- \

Definition of forget

forgot play \fər-ˈgät, fȯr-\; forgotten play \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

— 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.

See forget defined for English-language learners

See forget defined for kids

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 of forget from the Web

New Storefront Theatre thinks really, really small Forget about whatever your idea of intimate theater is, because this is probably smaller than that.

— liz biro, Indianapolis Star, "10 new things Indy arts and pop culture geeks should check out this fall," 28 Aug. 2017
Trust in These Importers Forget about specific varietals or regions—just turn a bottle around and find the importer on the back.

— belle cushing, Bon Appetit, "So, What Exactly Is Natural Wine?," 28 Aug. 2017
Inland rain gives Texas its own spot in the record books Power may be forgotten but forecast is for historic flooding Harvey came on the Texas shore as a Category 4 hurricane evoking comparisons to Katrina, Ike and Sandy.

— brian k sullivan, Bloomberg.com, "Lack of a Storm Surge Keeps Harvey From Katrina, Sandy Status," 27 Aug. 2017
Even during the Cold War, Russian-American cultural exchanges flourished: Who could forget Van Cliburn winning hearts at a piano competition in Moscow in 1958?

— david filipov, Washington Post, "Space, nuclear security, polar bears: Russia and the U.S. still agree on some things," 25 Aug. 2017
Like, who can forget the time Steele bashed a protest to stop immigration laws that would kick people out of the country, and literally rip parents away from their children, because said protest caused her to miss a flight?

— stephen a. crockett jr., The Root, "Why Sage Steele Needs to Go Sit Down and Stare Longingly at the Stirring Teaspoon," 25 Aug. 2017
Forget about a dog house because this pup has his own personal room—

— katina beniaris, Country Living, "This Man Built His Dog the Coziest Bedroom Under the Stairs," 23 Aug. 2017
Charlotte Talks’ interview Mike Collins won’t forget How do John Boy & Billy do a morning show in the afternoon? ‘

— théoden janes, charlotteobserver, "Ace & TJ can’t get away with the stunts they used to, but...," 23 Aug. 2017
Your tastebuds—and your bank account—won't ever forget it.

— sarah bruning, Condé Nast Traveler, "The 15 Most Expensive Restaurants in the World," 16 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'forget.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of forget

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

forget Synonyms

Synonyms

disremember, unlearn

Antonyms

flash back (to), hark back (to), harken back (to), hearken back (to), mind [chiefly dialect], recall, recollect, remember, reminisce (about), think (of)

Related Words

lose, miss; blank; misremember; disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook, overpass, pass over, slight, slur (over)

Near Antonyms

remind

Synonym Discussion of 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.