as in forgetful
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in ignoring
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in missing
to be unable to recall or think of
I forget exactly on which street that the house is
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shirking
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
he forgot the pot boiling on the stove
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in failing
to miss the opportunity or obligation
I forgot to call on his birthday
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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
This comes at a time of wider forgetting.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
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
In this arrangement, even if one learner suffers from catastrophic forgetting, the cognitive radio can still function.
—Sven Bilén, IEEE Spectrum, 23 July 2020
Judith Martin, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
For a while, Djena kept a bin with her clothes in Saran’s closet, until Saran threw it into the hallway, angry at Djena for forgetting to close her bedroom door.
—Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
These days, one would be forgiven for forgetting that SpaceX is, at its core, a rocket company.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
One poor fan, and her head, paid the price over the weekend for forgetting that non-negotiable.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
How To Get Rid Of And Prevent Smells Microwaves can get smelly from reheating last night’s salmon or forgetting to check the popcorn.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 May 2026
The fiction in the book doesn’t come from him making things up, but simply because there are gaps in information from people passing away or simply forgetting details over the past two decades.
—Brayden Garcia
may 11, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 May 2026
People may be noticing quakes that seem to fit this pattern and forgetting about the ones that don’t, Cal Poly Pomona said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Or turning the water on but forgetting to turn it off.
—Janet W. Lee, NPR, 7 May 2026
Noun
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
This comes at a time of wider forgetting.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
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
In this arrangement, even if one learner suffers from catastrophic forgetting, the cognitive radio can still function.
—Sven Bilén, IEEE Spectrum, 23 July 2020
Verb
The idea is to appear sympathetic to well-meaning people whose attention lapsed momentarily, forgetting that their picnic spot was also a concert venue.
—Judith Martin, Mercury News, 19 May 2026
For a while, Djena kept a bin with her clothes in Saran’s closet, until Saran threw it into the hallway, angry at Djena for forgetting to close her bedroom door.
—Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
These days, one would be forgiven for forgetting that SpaceX is, at its core, a rocket company.
—ArsTechnica, 18 May 2026
One poor fan, and her head, paid the price over the weekend for forgetting that non-negotiable.
—Mark Harris Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 May 2026
How To Get Rid Of And Prevent Smells Microwaves can get smelly from reheating last night’s salmon or forgetting to check the popcorn.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 16 May 2026
The fiction in the book doesn’t come from him making things up, but simply because there are gaps in information from people passing away or simply forgetting details over the past two decades.
—Brayden Garcia
may 11, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 May 2026
People may be noticing quakes that seem to fit this pattern and forgetting about the ones that don’t, Cal Poly Pomona said.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 11 May 2026
Or turning the water on but forgetting to turn it off.
—Janet W. Lee, NPR, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetting
Adjective
-
The victim's son had said that his friends and neighbors in Alaska, where the victim was living prior to moving back to Pittsburgh, described him as forgetful and were concerned about his mental state.—
Patrick Damp,
CBS News,
13 May 2026
-
What also follows is a useless debate over the cultural impact of the movie amid concerns that the film is a little loose with the truth or outright forgetful about key moments of Jackson’s complex and complicated life.—
Leonard Greene,
New York Daily News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
Verb
-
Is an important event missing from this date?—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Some six months later came his two-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit for missing tests, a violation of the antidoping code that doesn't necessarily mean an athlete is taking drugs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
The real problem was that the industry had spent too long building products while neglecting the operational systems that make financial infrastructure trustworthy in the first place.—
Amy Guttman,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
-
However, some argue that neglecting the issue creates an even larger vulnerability.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
20 May 2026
Verb
-
But many of the spillways are failing due to sea-level rise, according to the agency that controls them, and the anticipated 5 to 20 inches of sea-level rise in coming decades will be catastrophic for the region unless something drastic, and expensive, is done.—
Bill Kearney,
Sun Sentinel,
23 May 2026
-
There are gags in I Love Boosters straight out of Looney Tunes, like Corvette trying (and failing) to run out of Christie’s leaning condo building with the speed of Woody Woodpecker.—
Angelica Jade Bastién,
Vulture,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
Stay composed when you’re caught unaware.—
Maggie McGrath,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
-
Americans are largely unaware of these threats precisely because when the system works, they are contained quickly.—
Stephanie Psaki,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2026
Noun
-
If Maison Estelle is known for its wild interiors, popularity with the global entrepreneurial elite and disregard for dress code, the Manor follows suit with this beautiful and boisterous second chapter.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
-
The rogues’ gallery of killers released by the Parole Board came with rap sheets often marked by blatant disregard for human life.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
15 May 2026
Verb
-
The Sox allowed six runs in the inning, losing 10-3 in front of a sellout crowd of 40,172.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
If ancient lineages like Hexanchiformes truly sit near the base of the shark family tree, losing them to overfishing or habitat destruction would erase disproportionately deep evolutionary heritage.—
Melissa Cristina Márquez,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forgetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgetting. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
