forget
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to cease or fail to remember; be unable to recall.
to forget someone's name.
-
to omit or neglect unintentionally.
I forgot to shut the window before leaving.
-
to leave behind unintentionally; neglect to take.
to forget one's keys.
-
to omit mentioning; leave unnoticed.
-
to fail to think of; take no note of.
-
to neglect willfully; disregard or slight.
verb (used without object)
idioms
verb
-
(when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to fail to recall (someone or something once known); be unable to remember
-
(tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to neglect, usually as the result of an unintentional error
-
(tr) to leave behind by mistake
-
(tr) to disregard intentionally
-
(when tr, may take a clause as object) to fail to mention
-
-
to act in an improper manner
-
to be unselfish
-
to be deep in thought
-
-
an exclamation of annoyed or forgiving dismissal of a matter or topic
Usage
Both forgot and forgotten are used as the past participle of forget : Many have already forgot (or forgotten ) the hard times of the Depression. Only forgotten is used attributively: half-forgotten memories.
Other Word Forms
- forgettable adjective
- forgetter noun
- unforgetting adjective
Etymology
Origin of forget
First recorded before 900; for- + get; replacing Middle English foryeten, Old English forg(i)etan; cognate with Old Saxon fargetan, Old High German firgezzan
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He addressed his difficult 2025, and his many negative comments, in an Instagram post recently, saying he was "re-set and refreshed" and admitting: "For a moment, I forgot who I was."
From BBC
But the boyhood Newcastle United supporter has not forgotten his roots.
From BBC
Mostly, I wished Rachel would forget I’d ever told her about my secret.
From Literature
“He forgot about the attack from the north outer wall of the Alamo complex,” came a voice I knew all too well.
From Literature
"We need to forget this game and focus on training," added Tudor.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
