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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in failing

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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 While Platner and his men fought in Fallujah, a wave of public forgetting was already under way. — Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026 Whereas the poem ends with order restored, the film leaves history caught in an endless cycle of collapse, rebirth and forgetting. — Los Angeles Times, 21 July 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 Inside, boards blackened by smoke and sweat, the air sweet with cane and forgetting. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 May 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 For example, in learning contexts, adaptive forgetting, or the ability to let go of irrelevant information, can actually improve cognitive performance overall. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026 In an age of fast fading and faster forgetting, that message - stitched into every uneven hem - remains radical. — Maria Williams, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025

Verb

Pizzini remembers forgetting Scooter was a puppet during her first Muppet collaboration in 2016. — Mya Copeland, Variety, 25 Aug. 2026 The second mistake bridesmaids make is forgetting that the wedding isn’t about you. — Shelby Wax, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026 The results can be found today in professional locker rooms around the country, today’s stars never forgetting the 5-foot-4 bulldog who gave them their first headline. — Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Because creating that avenue was a theme of loss and remembering and what forgetting or remembering means for a character. — Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026 The cost of forgetting is almost always higher and appears more slowly than the cost of any single decision the partnership must ever make. — Abdulrahman Hammad, Forbes.com, 10 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 However, in the White Sox’s 8-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at Rate Field Friday, Venable did not have one of his finer moments, forgetting a key rule that cost his team dearly. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026 He's still plagued with symptoms ranging from dizziness and migraines to forgetting daily tasks and responsibilities to his wife and children. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetting

Adjective

Indi Star plays Violet Angel, who grew up on a farm and recently suffered a head injury due to a fall on her dad’s tractor, which leads to some comically forgetful moments.

— Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
But even aside from my personal brush with the ex-factor, everyone appears to be a little forgetful right now.

— Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 15 July 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

The fact a majority of them belong to people who traveled from another country and the conditions of the desert itself both complicate efforts to identify remains, therefore hindering missing persons cases, experts say.

— Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Rookie Carver Willis got first-team reps at right guard, and Jordan James saw action with the second team after missing time with a rib injury.

— Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of missing

Verb

Kayla Stemler, 28, was accused in November of neglecting the child, then 14, who was found weighing 35 lbs.

— Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
These groups contend the legislation rewards institutions neglecting Black voting representation and suggest boycotts to pressure Southern universities on redistricting.

— Peter Chawaga, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of neglecting

Verb

In a statement given to the The Athletic on Wednesday, Hampshire Police confirmed that Sterling had been charged with dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation and failing to provide a specimen.

— Jessica Hopkins, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Last Year The Cowboys experienced a bizarre, roller-coaster 2025 season, ultimately finishing 7-9-1 and failing to qualify for the postseason.

— David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of failing

Adjective

For much of the film, Julián falls for Ry while unaware of her illness or her family ties.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 28 Aug. 2026
But according to records reviewed during a deposition of the park’s director of maintenance, state officials were allegedly unaware that maintenance workers had replaced a wheel on one of the train cars prior to their inspection.

— Blake Ellis, CNN Money, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of unaware

Noun

Once again, Gulf leaders were shocked not just by American disregard for their preferences but also by the revelation of American impotence.

— MARC LYNCH, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026
Elci clarified that was a nod to his father’s work ethic, not a disregard for his passing.

— Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of disregard

Cite this Entry

Style

“Forgetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgetting. Accessed 30 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of forgetting

adjective

noun

verb

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