forget

American  

[fer-get] / fərˈgɛt /

verb (used with object)

forgot, forgat, forgotten, forgot, forgetting

1. to cease or fail to remember; be unable to recall.

   to forget someone's name.

2. to omit or neglect unintentionally.

   I forgot to shut the window before leaving.

3. to leave behind unintentionally; neglect to take.

   to forget one's keys.

4. to omit mentioning; leave unnoticed.

5. to fail to think of; take no note of.

6. to neglect willfully; disregard or slight.

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verb (used without object)

forgot, forgat, forgotten, forgot, forgetting

1. to cease or omit to think of something.

idioms

1. forget oneself, to say or do something improper or unbefitting one's rank, position, or character.

forget British  

/ fəˈɡɛt /

verb

1. (when tr, may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to fail to recall (someone or something once known); be unable to remember

2. (tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to neglect, usually as the result of an unintentional error

3. (tr) to leave behind by mistake

4. (tr) to disregard intentionally

5. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to fail to mention

6. 1. to act in an improper manner

   2. to be unselfish

   3. to be deep in thought

7. an exclamation of annoyed or forgiving dismissal of a matter or topic

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forget More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing forget

• forgive and forget

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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

Explanation

When you forget something, you can't recall or remember it. An actor who forgets his lines might need some helpful cues from the other actors on stage. You might forget on online password, or forget to return your library books. You can also deliberately forget something: "I've decided to forget about becoming rich and famous and focus on what I like to do." When you accidentally leave something behind, like your umbrella, you also forget it. The Old English root of forget is forgietan, "fail to remember or neglect inadvertently."

Example Sentences

I won’t soon forget the sight of her body-surfing down an overstuffed armchair to grapple with a phone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

In a season to forget, those Liverpool fans situated in the corner of the Hill Dickinson Stadium will never forget this afternoon on the banks of the River Mersey.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

But forget the week—the market’s April returns are even more impressive.

From Barron's • Apr. 17, 2026

I will never forget the uncanny feeling of staring inside my own arm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Here, for the first time, we could forget for a few moments everything that had happened.

From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo

Related Words

• fail
• ignore
• neglect
• overlook
• skip