as in forgetful
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in ignoring
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in missing
to be unable to recall or think of
I forget exactly on which street that the house is
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in neglecting
to fail to give proper attention to
she promised not to forget her high school friends after she went off to college
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in shirking
to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness
he forgot the pot boiling on the stove
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in failing
to miss the opportunity or obligation
I forgot to call on his birthday
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of forgetting
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
For example, in learning contexts, adaptive forgetting, or the ability to let go of irrelevant information, can actually improve cognitive performance overall.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
This comes at a time of wider forgetting.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
In an age of fast fading and faster forgetting, that message - stitched into every uneven hem - remains radical.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
In this arrangement, even if one learner suffers from catastrophic forgetting, the cognitive radio can still function.
—Sven Bilén, IEEE Spectrum, 23 July 2020
Sarah Scott, Parents, 9 Feb. 2026
Wednesday was all about looking forward, rediscovering comfort — not forgetting the offseason but beginning anew nonetheless.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
The singer had been tasked with announcing the penultimate winner of the night after accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy, and had already been flustered by initially forgetting to do so and having to be called back by six-time host Trevor Noah.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
When Cher created some memorable live-TV chaos by forgetting to present Record of the Year at the 68th annual Grammy Awards Sunday night, executive producer Ben Winston immediately spoke into host Trevor Noah‘s earpiece.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2026
Statistics say that Americans are forgetting how to be neighborly.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
That’s how exhausting this climb is — Dorinda’s forgetting her catchphrases!
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Once the initial excitement of collecting your supercar or SUV wears off, Unica helps owners to stay connected, with details of driving tours, track days, and Super Trofeo race meetings—not forgetting new vehicles in stock at their local Lamborghini dealer.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 28 Jan. 2026
Not every vagueposter is trying to go viral—some are simply addressing their own followers, forgetting that the fickle algorithm might spread the post beyond its target audience.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Noun
His quest to reclaim the power of writing becomes an inner journey between memory and forgetting, between a lost language and a new one, where human, emotion and meaning must be recreated anew.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
For example, in learning contexts, adaptive forgetting, or the ability to let go of irrelevant information, can actually improve cognitive performance overall.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
This comes at a time of wider forgetting.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2025
In an age of fast fading and faster forgetting, that message - stitched into every uneven hem - remains radical.
—Maria Williams, USA Today, 4 Nov. 2025
In this arrangement, even if one learner suffers from catastrophic forgetting, the cognitive radio can still function.
—Sven Bilén, IEEE Spectrum, 23 July 2020
Verb
There’s also no risk of forgetting to turn an alert off and leaving your data lingering longer than necessary.
—Sarah Scott, Parents, 9 Feb. 2026
Wednesday was all about looking forward, rediscovering comfort — not forgetting the offseason but beginning anew nonetheless.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
The singer had been tasked with announcing the penultimate winner of the night after accepting her Lifetime Achievement Award from the Recording Academy, and had already been flustered by initially forgetting to do so and having to be called back by six-time host Trevor Noah.
—Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Feb. 2026
When Cher created some memorable live-TV chaos by forgetting to present Record of the Year at the 68th annual Grammy Awards Sunday night, executive producer Ben Winston immediately spoke into host Trevor Noah‘s earpiece.
—Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2026
Statistics say that Americans are forgetting how to be neighborly.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
That’s how exhausting this climb is — Dorinda’s forgetting her catchphrases!
—Tom Smyth, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
Once the initial excitement of collecting your supercar or SUV wears off, Unica helps owners to stay connected, with details of driving tours, track days, and Super Trofeo race meetings—not forgetting new vehicles in stock at their local Lamborghini dealer.
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 28 Jan. 2026
Not every vagueposter is trying to go viral—some are simply addressing their own followers, forgetting that the fickle algorithm might spread the post beyond its target audience.
—Dani Di Placido, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetting
Adjective
-
In those early scenes of Home Alone, O’Hara is not just an avatar for a forgetful, imperfect mother.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
30 Jan. 2026
-
The company designed the ring not for the peace of mind of forgetful people like me but because, Oura says, one in 10 users have already bought a spare charger, perhaps so there’s always one your desk at work, for instance.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Remains found amid search in Mexico MEXICO CITY -- Mexican authorities on Friday announced the discovery of bodies and remains in the northwestern state of Sinaloa in an area of an ongoing search for 10 missing workers from a Canadian gold and silver mine.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Van de Ven is the only first-choice defender who is fit, and this was his first appearance since missing two games with a groin injury.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Some readers refuse to join one, stubbornly persisting in flipping to one section and ignoring the rest.—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Hustle culture praised women for ignoring their instincts in the name of productivity.—
Kelly Ehlers,
Rolling Stone,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Don’t let anyone pressure you into neglecting either half of your life.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Choosing the wrong pieces, or neglecting them over time, can make your porch look dated.—
Angelika Pokovba,
Martha Stewart,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Israel has long mistrusted UNIFIL, accusing it of failing to prevent Hezbollah from building up its military presence along the border in violation of ceasefire agreements going back two decades.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Marlin, the chief, was charged with evidence tampering and failing to report ethics crimes allegedly committed by two of his officers.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN Money,
7 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Even cursory nods to the pandemic as the root cause of neighbors turning against neighbors aren’t explored so much as they’re acknowledged, as if viewers are somehow unaware of the polarization plaguing America.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
13 Feb. 2026
-
However, the Pima County Sheriff’s Office is disputing the clip to Fox News Digital, citing the department is unaware of any reports of a ski mask being found.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
To this one can readily add ICE agents’ violations of constitutional restrictions on the use of force, breaches of their own use-of-force policies when confronting protesters, and the unconstitutional disregard of Fourth Amendment warrant restrictions.—
Paul Rosenzweig,
The Atlantic,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Outraged over such disregard for safety, even those who had held uneasy friendships with King cut him off.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
At 70 years old, Mahesh Chamadia had almost given up on the idea of losing weight.—
Ayushi Shah,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Bell-Johnson is known as One Leg and uses a prosthetic limb after losing his leg as a child in a train accident.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated February 6,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forgetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgetting. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
