Word
forget
Phoneticsfor·get, stress on the second syllable
US/fɝˈɡɛt/
UK/fəɡˈɛt/
Irregular verb
Forms
Infinitive
forget
Past
forgot
Past participle
forgotten
Definitions
01to fail to recall
A1 · Beginner
v. to be unable to remember a fact, a name, or an event.
v. to lose remembrance of information or to be unable to retrieve a memory from the mind.
“I always forget her phone number, so I have to look it up.”
“He had completely forgotten the details of the conversation until his colleague showed him the meeting minutes from the previous month.”
Usage
Often used in the present perfect ('I have forgotten') or the simple past ('I forgot').
Pitfall
I 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.
Synonyms
02to leave behind
A2 · Elementary
v. to leave something somewhere because you were not thinking about it.
v. to unintentionally leave an object in a location due to a lapse in attention.
“I forgot my umbrella on the bus this morning.”
“In her haste to catch the early train, she forgot her briefcase on the kitchen counter, necessitating a stressful return trip.”
Usage
Usually takes a direct object representing the item left behind.
Synonyms
03to neglect a task
A2 · Elementary
v. to fail to do something you were supposed to do.
v. to unintentionally omit or neglect a planned action or duty.
“Don't forget to lock the door when you leave the house.”
“The intern forgot to include the updated financial projections in the final report, which led to a confusing presentation for the board.”
Usage
Commonly followed by a 'to' infinitive.
Pitfall
I 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.
Teaching tip
Contrast 'forget to do' (omission of action) with 'forget doing' (loss of memory of a past event) for B1+ students.
Antonyms
04to stop thinking about
B1 · Intermediate
v. to stop thinking about someone or something, often to move on from a bad situation.
v. to deliberately cease thinking about or being affected by a person, event, or emotion.
“It took him a long time to forget his old boss and enjoy his new job.”
“After the legal dispute was settled, both parties agreed to forget their past grievances and attempt a professional collaboration.”
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“The ability to forget, scientists eventually came to realize, was just as vital as the ability to remember.” “It wasn’t so much the $8,000 that bothered me—it was the shame I felt for being stupid enough to lose the paper and forget the PIN.” Etymology
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.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Idioms
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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