forget
gb/fɚɡˈɛt/ us/fɚɡˈɛt/
A2
English
~ 900
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A2
action
1
Fail to remember something
To not remember something.
Usage pattern:
to forget [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'forget' with 'leave'. 'Forget' means you don't remember; 'leave' means you put something somewhere and did not take it with you.
Synonyms
fail to recall (More formal and slightly technical than 'forget'.)
Antonyms
remember (Means to have something stay in your memory.)
Collocations
forget a name
|forget a password
|forget a meeting
|forget someone's birthday
Themes
memory
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
|education
Examples
- I forgot her phone number.
- He forgot where he parked the car.
- She forgot about the meeting and went home early.
- I completely forgot what I was going to say.
Learner examples
- I forgot my keys at home.
- He forgot my name.
- She forgot her bag at school.
- We forgot the time of the party.
Verb
A2
action
2
Not bring due to not remembering
To not take something because you did not think about it.
Usage pattern:
to forget [something] [somewhere]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes overuse 'leave' instead of 'forget', but 'forget' emphasizes not remembering to bring something.
Synonyms
leave behind (Focuses on the act of leaving something somewhere, not necessarily from memory loss.)
Antonyms
bring (Means to take something with you.)
Collocations
forget an umbrella
|forget homework
|forget luggage
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I forgot my wallet at home.
- She forgot her umbrella in the office.
- We forgot our tickets on the kitchen table.
Learner examples
- I forgot my book at school.
- He forgot his phone at work.
- She forgot her lunch at home.
Verb
A2
action
3
Fail to do due to forgetting
To not do something because you didn't think about it.
Usage pattern:
to forget to [verb]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'forget doing' (not remembering an event) with 'forget to do' (not performing an action).
Synonyms
neglect (More formal; can imply carelessness.)
Antonyms
remember to (Means to keep in mind and do something.)
Collocations
forget to call
|forget to lock
|forget to reply
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I forgot to call my mother yesterday.
- Don't forget to turn off the lights.
- She forgot to send the email before leaving.
Learner examples
- I forgot to close the door.
- He forgot to do his homework.
- She forgot to wash the dishes.
Verb
B1
action
4
Stop thinking or caring about something
To stop thinking about or caring about something.
Usage pattern:
to forget about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this emotional sense with literal memory loss. Context usually clarifies meaning.
Synonyms
let go of (Informal; focuses on emotional release rather than memory loss.)
Antonyms
dwell on (Means to keep thinking about something, often negatively.)
Collocations
forget your worries
|forget the past
Themes
emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Try to forget about what happened yesterday.
- She wanted to forget her troubles and enjoy the party.
- It's hard to forget such a painful experience.
Learner examples
- Forget about your problems for now.
- I want to forget this bad day.
- He can't forget what she said.
Grammar
Dictionary form
forget
IPA
GB/fɚɡˈɛt/
US/fɚɡˈɛt/
Syllables & stress
for - get (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (for)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: forget
- 3rd Person Singular: forgets
- Present Participle: forgetting
- Past: forgot
- Past Participle: forgotten
Word family
Forms
forgets
verb
forgetting
verb
forgot
verb
forgotten
verb
Core family
forgetful
adjective
forgetfulness
noun
Related words
forgettable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
unforgettable
adjective B2
remember
verb A2
Advanced or less common
unforgettably
adverb
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: forgetting Verb
- Irregular past: forgot Verb
- Irregular past participle: forgotten Verb
Expressions
don't forget
1/dˈoʊnt fɚɡˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Reminder to remember something important
Used to tell someone they must remember to do something.
Examples
- Don't forget to lock the door when you leave.
- Don't forget your passport for the trip.
forget about it
1/fɚɡˈɛt əbˈaʊt ˈɪt/
fixed phrase
informal
Stop worrying or discussing it
Used to tell someone not to worry or think more about something, or that it's not important.
Examples
- If you don't like it, just forget about it.
- "Sorry for the mistake." "Forget about it."
forget oneself
1/fɚɡˈɛt wˌʌnsˈɛlf/
idiom
Lose self-control or manners temporarily
To behave in a way that is not polite or usual for you, usually because of strong feelings.
Examples
- In his anger, he quite forgot himself and shouted at the manager.
- She forgot herself and started laughing loudly.
forgive and forget
1/fɚɡˈɪv ˈænd fɚɡˈɛt/
idiom
Let go of anger and memory of wrongs
To stop being angry about something and not think about it anymore.
Examples
- It's time to forgive and forget if we want peace.
- They decided to forgive and forget after their disagreement.
- They finally decided to forgive and forget after years of arguing.
- It’s best to forgive and forget so you can move on.