forget

[ fer-get ]

/ fərˈgɛt /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR forget ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), for·got or (Archaic) for·gat; for·got·ten or for·got; for·get·ting.

to cease or fail to remember; be unable to recall: to forget someone's name.

to omit or neglect unintentionally: I forgot to shut the window before leaving.

to leave behind unintentionally; neglect to take: to forget one's keys.

to omit mentioning; leave unnoticed.

to fail to think of; take no note of.

to neglect willfully; disregard or slight.

verb (used without object), for·got or (Archaic) for·gat; for·got·ten or for·got; for·get·ting.

to cease or omit to think of something.

Nearby words

Idioms

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

Origin of forget

before 900; for- + get; replacing Middle English foryeten, Old English forg(i)etan; cognate with Old Saxon fargetan, Old High German firgezzan

Related formsfor·get·ta·ble, adjectivefor·get·ter, nounun·for·get·ting, adjective

Usage note

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for forgettable

But his first forays into film were forgettable comedies like Booty Call.
Jamie Foxx: Get Over the Black ‘Annie’|Stereo Williams|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But he seemed on first encounter to be very gray, more a forgettable clerk than a firebrand cleric.
Why Pope Francis Wants to Declare Murdered Archbishop Romero a Saint|Christopher Dickey|August 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, the Saudis vent their anger with fits of forgettable diplomatic rage.
Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Arabia’s Gatsby, Master Spy|Christopher Dickey|November 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He is, and was at Georgetown, for the most part, general and passive and forgettable.
Obama’s Bad Salesmanship|Michael Tomasky|June 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST

And none of that really mattered anyway, because he was just forgettable at debates and on the stump.
The Real Reason Huntsman Lost|Justin Green|January 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
"I used to live here," he said, ashamed to be so forgettable.
In a Little Town|Rupert Hughes
All the time there was a steady bruise at the bottom of his soul, but so steady as to be forgettable.
The Rainbow|D. H. (David Herbert) Lawrence
They are so much more passive and forgettable than luggage—abroad that is.
The Passionate Friends|Herbert George Wells
All that remained was to draw a veil as decently as might be over the forgettable humiliation.
The Hermit of Far End|Margaret Pedler
In the afternoon we moved our headquarters back a mile or so to a commodious and moderately clean farm with a forgettable name.
Adventures of a Despatch Rider|W. H. L. Watson

British Dictionary definitions for forgettable

forget

/ (fəˈɡɛt) /

verb -gets, -getting or -got or -gotten or archaic, dialect -got

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

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

(tr) to leave behind by mistake

(tr) to disregard intentionally

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

forget oneself

to act in an improper manner
to be unselfish
to be deep in thought

forget it! an exclamation of annoyed or forgiving dismissal of a matter or topic

Derived Formsforgettable, adjectiveforgetter, noun

Word Origin for forget

Old English forgietan; related to Old Frisian forgeta, Old Saxon fargetan, Old High German firgezzan

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for forgettable (1 of 2)

forgettable

adj.

1827, from forget + -able. First attested in a translation from German by Carlyle.

Word Origin and History for forgettable (1 of 2)

forget

Old English forgietan, from for-, used here with negative force, "away, amiss, opposite" + gietan "to grasp" (see get). To "un-get," hence "to lose" from the mind. A common Germanic construction (cf. Old Saxon fargetan, Old Frisian forjeta, Dutch vergeten, Old High German firgezzan, German vergessen "to forget"). The literal sense would be "to lose (one's) grip on," but that is not recorded in any Germanic language. Related: Forgetting; forgot; forgotten.

Idioms and Phrases with forgettable

forget

In addition to the idiom beginning with forget

forget it
forget oneself

also see:

forgive and forget

forget

verb (used with object), for·got or (Archaic) for·gat; for·got·ten or for·got; for·get·ting.

verb (used without object), for·got or (Archaic) for·gat; for·got·ten or for·got; for·get·ting.

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of forget

Usage note

Examples from the Web for forgettable

British Dictionary definitions for forgettable

forget

verb -gets, -getting or -got or -gotten or archaic, dialect -got

Word Origin for forget

Word Origin and History for forgettable (1 of 2)

forgettable

Word Origin and History for forgettable (1 of 2)

forget

Idioms and Phrases with forgettable

forget