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

Barely a week into the Lakers’ season, ignoring the records, forgetting the statistics, only one thing is abundantly clear. — Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 At this point, the biggest threat to the ’72 Dolphins’ champagne celebration is somebody forgetting to bring the corkscrew. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Oct. 2026 Real Housewives alum Camille Grammer (now known by her married name, Camille Meyer) called out ex-husband Kelsey Grammer for allegedly forgetting their daughter’s 25th birthday. — Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2026 Using high heat settings and forgetting to use dryer sheets or wool dryer balls can also contribute to sheet shrinkage and stiffness. — Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 26 Oct. 2026 That terrible scenario that doesn't easily fade definitely caused everyone to believe Quinn was at it again on Monday night – messing up again, forgetting that the last play was fourth down instead of third down. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetting

Adjective

Reagan was forgetful but not necessarily cognitively impaired, Darman said.

— Bob Woodward, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 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

Nearly a year after Christina Downer was reported missing in Los Angeles, police arrested her boyfriend, actor Delorean Bijon Brandon, and Kaylee Nicole Markowski on suspicion of murder.

— Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2026
The groom, who is close enough in age to feel more like a cousin, sends them on a quick errand that turns into a string of misadventures, leaving the trio at risk of missing the wedding altogether.

— Essie Assibu, Variety, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of missing

Verb

The former owner of several unlicensed North Texas boarding homes pleaded guilty Monday to financially abusing and fatally neglecting elderly and disabled people in her care, according to court filings.

— Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 Oct. 2026
Authorities learned that her company, which claimed to provide supervised personal care for adults in need throughout five homes in Tarrant County, was actually abusing and neglecting clients and committing fraud.

— S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of neglecting

Verb

In a recent letter, the two leaders criticized the EPA for failing to oversee the generators and called for the group to regulate generator emissions.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 28 Oct. 2026
That’s because in countless ways and for decades, New York has been struggling, and largely failing, to grapple with the housing crisis.

— Michael Kimmelman, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of failing

Adjective

One of the key questions investigators are working to answer is why the control center appeared to be unaware that a train remained stalled on the tracks ahead of a train moving at 120 mph.

— ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
But Vester, the assistant city manager, on Tuesday told commissioners the city was unaware of the naming-rights contract until recently.

— Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of unaware

Noun

In addition, the jury found the two deputies acted with reckless disregard and awarded $10 million in punitive damages.

— Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Waititi’s the opposite of a detailed world-builder, which can be a good quality — his joyful disregard is what made his first Thor film so enjoyable.

— Alison Willmore, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of disregard

Verb

Aside from briefly losing the seat for one term nearly a decade ago, Valadao has hung onto the seat.

— Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
For this year’s show at Compton Verney, Cadogan has taken inspiration from British people who’ve written to her about losing beloved trees in their own gardens, or public spaces.

— Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of losing

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“Forgetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgetting. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of forgetting

adjective

noun

verb

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