forget

forget — verb

1. When facts, events, or skills no longer stay in your mind and you cannot bring t

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA1
Definition

When facts, events, or skills no longer stay in your mind and you cannot bring them back when you need them.

Example

Wren forgot her cousin's birthday last week and felt terrible about it.

forget + noun phrase

Eli completely forgot that the post office closes at noon on Saturdays.

forget + that-clause

Common collocations
  • completely forget
  • never forget
  • soon forget
Synonyms
  • fail to recall

    more formal; used in writing or careful speech

  • slip one's mind

    informal idiom; only for things you meant to do or say, not for skills

Antonyms
  • remember

    the direct opposite in all contexts

  • recall

    more deliberate effort to bring something back to mind

Grammar Patterns

forget + noun phrase

forget + that-clause

forget + wh-clause

forget + about + noun phrase

forget + -ing form (gerund)

Common Mistakes

I forgot the key at home.' (implies key was previously in your mind).
I left the key at home.
'forget' means it slips your mind, but 'leave behind' is about the physical act of not bringing it.

2. When you intend to carry out an action but the thought leaves your mind before y

2.verbtransitiveA2
Definition

When you intend to carry out an action but the thought leaves your mind before you can do it.

Example

Eli forgot to lock the front door before leaving for work this morning.

forget + to-infinitive for an uncompleted intention

Sayaka forgot to buy milk on the way home from the gym last night.

Common collocations
  • forget to do something
  • nearly forget to
Synonyms
  • neglect

    implies some responsibility or duty; more formal and slightly stronger

Antonyms
  • remember to

    the direct opposite: you keep the intention in mind and carry it out

Grammar Patterns

forget + to-infinitive

Usage Note

Do not confuse with 'forget + -ing' (gerund), which means you did something but no longer remember doing it. Example: 'I forgot locking the door' means you locked it but have no memory of doing so.

Common Mistakes

I forgot locking the door' (when you meant you didn't lock it).
I forgot to lock the door.
'forget + -ing' means you did it but don't recall it; 'forget + to-infinitive' means you intended to do it but didn't.

3. To unintentionally leave an object in a place because you do not remember that y

3.verbtransitiveA2
Definition

To unintentionally leave an object in a place because you do not remember that you need to bring it with you.

Example

Sayaka forgot her umbrella on the bus and had to buy a new one.

Ramón forgot his passport at the hotel and missed his flight to Japan.

forget + noun phrase + at [location]

Common collocations
  • forget one's wallet
  • forget one's keys
  • forget one's phone
Synonyms
  • leave behind

    more neutral; can be intentional or unintentional

  • leave

    simpler; does not specify forgetfulness

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

forget + noun phrase

forget + noun phrase + prepositional phrase

Common Mistakes

I forgot my phone at home' (accepted in informal speech but some speakers consider this redundant).
I left my phone at home' or 'I forgot my phone.
'forget' already implies the result of leaving behind.

4. To have the ability to remember a person's appearance or name after meeting them

4.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

To have the ability to remember a person's appearance or name after meeting them only once or briefly.

Example

My grandmother never forgets a face and still recalls neighbours from sixty years ago.

negative construction: 'never forget a face'

Omar claims he never forgets a name once someone tells him at a party.

Common collocations
  • never forget a face
  • never forget a name
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

forget + noun phrase (typically a face, name, or person)

Usage Note

Used almost exclusively in the negative: 'never forget a face' or 'don't forget a face.' The subject is a person with an unusually good memory for people.

5. Used when you are listing things and want to add something else to the list, giv

5.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

Used when you are listing things and want to add something else to the list, giving it special emphasis.

Example

The resort has a golf course, a spa, and not forgetting a children's club.

fixed phrase: 'not forgetting' to add to a list

Mayor Diya thanked the teachers, the volunteers, and not forgetting the kitchen staff who fed everyone.

Common collocations
  • and not forgetting
  • not forgetting
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

not forgetting + noun phrase

Usage Note

Only used in the pattern 'and not forgetting + noun phrase.' This is a set expression; you cannot use 'forget' alone in this sense without 'not'.

Common Mistakes

❌ 'Not forgetting' is used ONLY to add items to a positive list. It cannot mean 'don't forget' as in 'you should remember.'

6. To deliberately stop letting a person, a past event, or a problem occupy your th

6.verbtransitive / intransitiveB1
Definition

To deliberately stop letting a person, a past event, or a problem occupy your thoughts so you can move forward.

Example

After the argument, Devika tried to forget the whole thing and move on with her life.

Let us forget about work and enjoy the weekend together as a family.

forget + about + noun phrase for letting go

Common collocations
  • try to forget
  • forget about
  • let us forget
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • dwell on

    keep thinking about something repeatedly

  • obsess over

    stronger; cannot stop thinking about something

Grammar Patterns

forget + noun phrase

forget + about + noun phrase

forget + that-clause

Usage Note

Frequently used in imperatives ('forget about it', 'forget it') or with 'try to' to suggest a deliberate mental effort. Distinguish from sense 1: here the emphasis is on the conscious choice to stop thinking, not on a memory failure.

7. You say this to make someone stop talking about a subject, to show a suggestion

7.verbintransitiveB1
Definition

You say this to make someone stop talking about a subject, to show a suggestion is impossible, or to say a matter is no longer worth attention — often when you feel irritated.

Example

Anong started to explain, but Wren said, "Forget it — I do not want to hear excuses."

imperative 'forget it' to dismiss or end a topic

"Forget it," said the manager when the clerk tried to apologise again for the error.

Common collocations
  • forget it
  • just forget it
  • forget about it
Synonyms
  • never mind

    softer and more polite; less annoyed

  • drop it

    stronger; implies the speaker is irritated and wants to end the topic

  • skip it

    informal; suggests moving on to something else

Grammar Patterns

forget it

forget + noun phrase

forget + (about) + -ing clause

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 6 (PUT OUT OF MIND): sense 7 is a conversational tool addressed to someone else ('forget it'), while sense 6 is about your own mental effort. Sense 7 often appears as a complete utterance in the imperative.

Common Mistakes

❌ Using 'forget it' when you mean 'I don't remember' instead of 'never mind' can confuse the listener.

8. When strong emotions such as anger or excitement push aside your normal self-con

8.verbintransitiveC1
Definition

When strong emotions such as anger or excitement push aside your normal self-control, causing you to do or say something socially unacceptable — like shouting or speaking rudely.

Example

The coach forgot himself and shouted at the referee during the final match.

reflexive: 'forget oneself' for losing composure

Evelyn was so offended that she nearly forgot herself and said something unkind.

Common collocations
  • forget oneself
  • completely forget oneself
  • nearly forget oneself
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

forget oneself

Usage Note

Always used reflexively as 'forget oneself.' The subject is always a person who loses composure. Common after conflict, shock, or extreme excitement. Never use with a direct object.

Common Mistakes

He forgot and shouted at the teacher.
He forgot himself and shouted at the teacher.
Without 'oneself,' the meaning changes to the general 'fail to remember' sense.
Idioms

and don’t (you) forget it

idiom

This is used to strongly remind someone to remember their position or a rule.

You work for me, not the other way around, and don't you forget it.

I'm your boss, and don't forget it.

forget it

idiom

This is used to tell someone that something is not important or to reject an offer.

Mia offered to pay me back, but I said, "Forget it, it's on me."

Can I borrow your car? Forget it, I need it myself.

forgive and forget

idiom

This means to stop being angry with someone and act as if the bad thing never happened.

After their argument, the two friends decided to forgive and forget.

It's hard to forgive and forget when someone lies to you.

not forgetting…

idiom

This is used to add something to a list you have just mentioned.

We invited Tom, Sara, and Diego, not forgetting their parents.

The trip includes visits to Paris, Rome, and London, not forgetting Berlin.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Forget' is the everyday word for being unable to bring information back to mind — it covers facts, events, and skills. 'Fail to recall' is more formal and suggests a deliberate but unsuccessful effort to remember ('The witness failed to recall the exact date'). 'Slip one's mind' is an informal idiom used only for intentions or obligations that you accidentally miss, never for skills or facts ('Her appointment slipped my mind'). 'Overlook' means you fail to notice or consider something deliberately, not that your memory failed ('I overlooked this detail in the report'). Use 'forget' for natural memory loss, 'fail to recall' for formal testimony, 'slip one's mind' for casual forgetfulness about tasks, and 'overlook' when attention, not memory, is the issue.

forget ↗fail to recallslip one's mindoverlook ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishGermanicEnglish

The word 'forget' comes from Old English 'forgietan', which was built from two parts: the prefix 'for-' meaning 'away, amiss, wrong' and 'gietan' meaning 'to grasp, to hold, to take'. Together they literally meant 'to lose one's hold on' — originally in the physical sense, but already in Old English it was used for losing your mental hold on something. Related words in other Germanic languages include German 'vergessen' and Dutch 'vergeten', which share the same prefix-plus-root structure.