forget

verb

fər-ˈget How to pronounce forget (audio)
Definition of forgetnext
1
as in to miss
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
2
as in to ignore
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 to neglect
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness he forgot the pot boiling on the stove

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to fail
to miss the opportunity or obligation I forgot to call on his birthday

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word forget distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of forget are disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook, and slight. While all these words mean "to pass over without giving due attention," forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

When can disregard be used instead of forget?

While in some cases nearly identical to forget, disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

When could ignore be used to replace forget?

The words ignore and forget can be used in similar contexts, but ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

When might neglect be a better fit than forget?

In some situations, the words neglect and forget are roughly equivalent. However, neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

When would overlook be a good substitute for forget?

Although the words overlook and forget have much in common, overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

Where would slight be a reasonable alternative to forget?

The synonyms slight and forget are sometimes interchangeable, but slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

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 forget Pro tip: Don't forget to save the bones for homemade stock. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 10 May 2025 Don't forget to check out yesterday's Best Laptop Deal of the Day for May 5. —Jade Chung-Lee, PC Magazine, 10 May 2025 Get your pre-orders in now and don’t forget to use promo code PEOPLE25 to knock $25 off at checkout. —Clint Davis, People.com, 9 May 2025 It should not be forgotten either that Spurs came here facing the latest episode in their injury permacrisis that has blighted their season. —Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for forget
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forget
  1. miss
  2. ignore
  3. neglect
  4. fail
  5. lose
  6. omit
Verb
  • Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
    — Madison E. Goldberg, People.com, 16 May 2025
  • Fill-in moderator Joy Behar took over for Goldberg on Wednesday's telecast, which Goldberg missed due to her sickness.
    — Joey Nolfi Published, EW.com, 15 May 2025
Definition of miss
Verb
  • Extract every valuable insight from feedback others would ignore.
    — Jodie Cook, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
  • When Jackson walked off the pitch and down the tunnel, Chelsea’s head coach appeared deliberately to ignore him.
    — Simon Johnson, New York Times, 12 May 2025
Definition of ignore
Verb
  • But the weirder, more unique parts of the Surface lineup have been mostly neglected since Panay's departure.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2025
  • While some clients may issue a 1099 to a contractor, it’s not required in all situations, and some neglect to do so.
    — Vlad Rusz, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Definition of neglect
Verb
  • Even though the measure failed in Bensenville, at least 163 communities around the state have recently enacted local grocery taxes.
    — Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2025
  • That effort cost Obama's party control of the U.S. House of Representatives, while Republicans failed in their own bids to repeal the law.
    — Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 4 May 2025
Definition of fail
Verb
  • The Lions were a laughingstock of the NFL and made the playoffs three times from 2000-20, losing in the wild-card round each time.
    — Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
  • Bernie Madoff Bernie Madoff, infamous for the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history, lost a personal net worth estimated at $823-$826 million before his 2008 downfall.
    — Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
Definition of lose
Verb
  • Several of the groups also expressed frustration that the budget plan omitted their demands for legislation to slash new regulations covering the sale of AR-style pistols equipped with braces to help the handicapped steady shots at the range.
    — Paul Bedard, The Washington Examiner, 13 May 2025
  • New York and Washington, D.C.’s TRACONs were also omitted from the list.
    — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 5 May 2025
Definition of omit

Phrases Containing forget

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forges
forget
forgetful
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Cite this Entry

“Forget.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forget. Accessed 18 May. 2025.

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