FORGETTING Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

forgetting 1 of 3

adjective

as in forgetful

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forgetting

2 of 3

noun

as in ignoring

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Dissimilar Words

forgetting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of forget

as in missing

to be unable to recall or think of I forget exactly on which street that the house is

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in neglecting

to fail to give proper attention to she promised not to forget her high school friends after she went off to college

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as in shirking

to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness he forgot the pot boiling on the stove

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as in failing

to miss the opportunity or obligation I forgot to call on his birthday

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of forgetting

Noun

How else to understand the Winston experience except as a forgetting, a perpetual letting go? — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026 Which things are normal forgetting, associated with aging, and which things are signs of trouble? — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026 That deliberate forgetting, combined with famine, stripped the baiji of protection. — Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026 The Kennedy Center should be a living national institution, for a nation that cannot renew its inheritance will soon have nothing to inherit but its own forgetting. — Frank Porcu, New York Daily News, 20 Sep. 2026 Automatically Delete Unneeded Safety Data Build safety systems with deliberate forgetting. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 4 Sep. 2026 But the situation in the country remains dire, and the collective forgetting of the United States’ longest war carries costs of its own. — Laurel Miller, Foreign Affairs, 27 Aug. 2026 Rather than presenting memory as a complete record of the past, Fragments of Remembering explores the space between remembering and forgetting. — Photovogue, Vogue, 2 July 2026 His quest to reclaim the power of writing becomes an inner journey between memory and forgetting, between a lost language and a new one, where human, emotion and meaning must be recreated anew. — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026

Verb

Selling the future without forgetting the past That loyalty matters especially now. — Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 16 Oct. 2026 There are, after all, different ways of forgetting and moving on. — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026 After a time, the normal chitchat and easiness of the room returned like a wound closing, the girls forgetting her intrusion. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 Instead of displaying their trademark hunger Sunday, the Dodgers had an air of entitlement, failing to do the little things, forgetting to show that fear that got them here. — Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026 How many of those handoffs involve a human summarizing, paraphrasing or simply forgetting the original signal? — Stu Sjouwerman, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026 This story does not suggest that reconciliation requires forgetting the past or excusing harmful choices. — Ascend Agency, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026 Forgetting the Walls One common mistake in entryway design is forgetting about the walls. — Natasha Bazika, Martha Stewart, 24 Sep. 2026 Roman design studio Roselli Architetti was enlisted to restore it into one building without forgetting its history; the result is a striking design that blends ancient artifacts with retro midcentury flooring and contemporary furnishings. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetting

Adjective

His first app was a minimalist white-noise tool for insomnia; his second, a to-do list for forgetful people.

— Afra Wang, New Yorker, 23 Sep. 2026
However, his wife knew that her husband was a very forgetful man.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of forgetful

Noun

Strategic ignoring begins with recognizing that attention is not an unlimited asset, but a leadership resource.

— Nick Leighton, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Addressing Modern Behavior Patterns Verification tools such as these address behavior patterns such as preemptive ignoring, digital curiosity, and selective responsiveness, all of which have become more common in recent years.

— Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of ignoring

Verb

Another group of fourth graders in Texas came up with the idea to deploy AI to identify and locate missing students in an emergency like a fire or school lockdown.

— Kiryn Hoffman, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Days into their expedition, the team searching for Amelia Earhart’s missing plane is battling severe weather — and racing to identify a mysterious object that could finally solve the aviator's disappearance.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of missing

Verb

Securing the corporate inbox while neglecting mobile leaves over 80% of an employee’s daily digital communication channels completely unmonitored.

— Firas Azmeh, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026
In the song, Swift apologizes to an ex for neglecting his feelings, comparing the bliss of a rebound relationship to the excitement of drug users post-withdrawal in recovery, where the term in the title originates.

— Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of neglecting

Verb

The water main break was the latest in Los Angeles over the last few months as officials struggle with aging infrastructure and failing water systems that have caused major disruptions for motorists and residents.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
After years of bootlegging, gambling, prostitution, and racketeering, Capone went down not for murder or mayhem but for failing to pay taxes.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of failing

Adjective

On February 14, 2024, the air force struck a tunnel in that neighborhood, targeting two senior Hamas commanders, unaware of six hostages inside.

— Jeremy Diamond, CNN Money, 8 Oct. 2026
Blissfully unaware of the industry’s collective eye baggage and only concerned about her own (non-existent) dark circles is Saoirse Ronan, who Eurostar-ed her way to Paris just for the Louis Vuitton show.

— Alice Newbold, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of unaware

Noun

Their leaders appeared to disregard reports that Iranian decision-makers had called on them, in July 2026, to close the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb to maritime traffic.

— Laurent Bonnefoy, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Any choice for or against the work, including the choice of no-choice—of indifference or disregard—confronts the question of authenticity.

— Jeffrey Weiss, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of disregard

Verb

Atlanta reached the Finals for the first time since 2013 and after losing in its previous three appearances in the championship round, will be trying for their first as well.

— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026
Tim Boyd San Juan Capistrano I’m sure there are Dodgers fans unhappy about losing to the Brewers.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of losing

Cite this Entry

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“Forgetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgetting. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of forgetting

adjective

noun

verb

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