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 And during the heart of the pandemic, who could forget her radiant presence in the 2020 Verzuz battle with Erykah Badu? —Larry Stansbury, Essence, 4 Apr. 2025 With last year’s coaches off the staff, Polk and Baker’s disappointing rookie campaigns can be forgotten. —Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2025 When transferring goods into freezer-safe bags, don’t forget to date and label the bags. —Cody Godwin, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025 From the start, many critics worried that school summer vacations would lead students to forget their lessons and waste time in unhealthy idleness. —Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 23 Mar. 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
  • However, she was fired in March 1995 when it was discovered money was missing.
    — David Matthews, New York Daily News, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Robert Irwin Is 'Thrilled and Honored' for New Snail Species Discovered in Australia to Be Named After Him 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.
    — Raven Brunner, People.com, 28 Mar. 2025
Definition of miss
Verb
  • Get best-in-class reporting that's too important to ignore for just $2.50 $1 per month for 1 year.
    — Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Pedro Pascal isn't ignoring an obvious parallel between himself and his character in the HBO series The Last of Us.
    — Arabella Hau, People.com, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of ignore
Verb
  • However, neglecting compliance can have disastrous consequences.
    — Rasmus Holst, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Multi-club ownership throws up potential for conflicts of interest and the prospect of sheer neglect towards the smaller clubs in a portfolio.
    — The Athletic FC Podcast, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of neglect
Verb
  • Most failed to hit their targets and crashed into the ocean.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Senate Bill 376 by Sen. Alan Clark, R-Lonsdale, failed to clear the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee in a voice vote with audible dissent.
    — Josh Snyder, Arkansas Online, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of fail
Verb
  • Since March 2024, Tszyu is 0-2, losing his WBO light middleweight title to Sebastian Fundora by split decision, and most recently, in October 2024, falling to Bakhram Murtazaliev in an IBF title fight by third-round knockout.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025
  • Brighton have lost not just a lot of players but staff and recruitment personnel as well.
    — Andy Naylor, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
Definition of lose
Verb
  • The bizarre thing is that even with a six-hour runtime, much of the novel material omitted from Visconti’s version is still entirely missing.
    — Anthony Paletta, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Meanwhile, Martha Stewart’s Carrot Cake omits the fruit, as does Alison Roman’s version.
    — Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 28 Mar. 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 16 Apr. 2025.

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