forget
- 01 A1 Beginner
to be unable to remember a fact, a name, or an event.
to lose remembrance of information or to be unable to retrieve a memory from the mind.
Simple“I always forget her phone number, so I have to look it up.”
In context“He had completely forgotten the details of the conversation until his colleague showed him the meeting minutes from the previous month.”
UsageOften used in the present perfect ('I have forgotten') or the simple past ('I forgot').
PitfallI am forgetting your name. I have forgotten your name.In many contexts, 'forget' is a state; use the present perfect to describe the current result of losing a memory.
- 02 A2 Elementary
to leave something somewhere because you were not thinking about it.
to unintentionally leave an object in a location due to a lapse in attention.
Simple“I forgot my umbrella on the bus this morning.”
In context“In her haste to catch the early train, she forgot her briefcase on the kitchen counter, necessitating a stressful return trip.”
UsageUsually takes a direct object representing the item left behind.
- 03 A2 Elementary
to fail to do something you were supposed to do.
to unintentionally omit or neglect a planned action or duty.
Simple“Don't forget to lock the door when you leave the house.”
In context“The intern forgot to include the updated financial projections in the final report, which led to a confusing presentation for the board.”
UsageCommonly followed by a 'to' infinitive.
Teacher's tipContrast 'forget to do' (omission of action) with 'forget doing' (loss of memory of a past event) for B1+ students.
PitfallI forgot doing my homework. I forgot to do my homework.Use 'forget + to-infinitive' for a task you didn't do. 'Forget + -ing' means you did it but don't remember the event.
- 04 B1 Intermediate
to stop thinking about someone or something, often to move on from a bad situation.
to deliberately cease thinking about or being affected by a person, event, or emotion.
Simple“It took him a long time to forget his old boss and enjoy his new job.”
In context“After the legal dispute was settled, both parties agreed to forget their past grievances and attempt a professional collaboration.”
From Middle English forgeten, forgiten, foryeten, forȝiten, from Old English forġietan (“to forget”) [influenced by Old Norse geta ("to get, to guess")], from Proto-West Germanic *fragetan (“to give up, forget”). Equivalent to for- + get. Cognate with : * Scots forget, forȝet (“to forget”), * West Frisian fergette, ferjitte, forjitte (“to forget”), * Dutch vergeten (“to forget”), * German vergessen (“to forget”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.