FORGET Synonyms: 86 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'forget' distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of forget are disregard , ignore , neglect , overlook , and slight . While all these words mean "to pass over without giving due attention," forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind. // forget what others say

Q: When can 'disregard' be used instead of 'forget'?

While in some cases nearly identical to forget , disregard suggests voluntary inattention. // disregarded the wishes of his family

Q: When could 'ignore' be used to replace 'forget'?

The words ignore and forget can be used in similar contexts, but ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious. // ignored the snide remark

Q: When might 'neglect' be a better fit than 'forget'?

In some situations, the words neglect and forget are roughly equivalent. However, neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention. // habitually neglected his studies

Q: When would 'overlook' be a good substitute for 'forget'?

Although the words overlook and forget have much in common, overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care. // in my rush I overlooked a key example

Q: Where would 'slight' be a reasonable alternative to 'forget'?

The synonyms slight and forget are sometimes interchangeable, but slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting. // slighted several major authors in her survey

forget

verb

fər-ˈget

Definition of forget next

as in to miss

to be unable to recall or think of I forget exactly on which street that the house is

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to ignore

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

as in to neglect

to leave undone or unattended to especially through carelessness he forgot the pot boiling on the stove

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to fail

to miss the opportunity or obligation I forgot to call on his birthday

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word forget distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of forget are disregard, ignore, neglect, overlook, and slight. While all these words mean "to pass over without giving due attention," forget may suggest either a willful ignoring or a failure to impress something on one's mind.

forget what others say

When can disregard be used instead of forget?

While in some cases nearly identical to forget, disregard suggests voluntary inattention.

disregarded the wishes of his family

When could ignore be used to replace forget?

The words ignore and forget can be used in similar contexts, but ignore implies a failure to regard something obvious.

ignored the snide remark

When might neglect be a better fit than forget?

In some situations, the words neglect and forget are roughly equivalent. However, neglect implies giving insufficient attention to something that merits one's attention.

habitually neglected his studies

When would overlook be a good substitute for forget?

Although the words overlook and forget have much in common, overlook suggests disregarding or ignoring through haste or lack of care.

in my rush I overlooked a key example

Where would slight be a reasonable alternative to forget?

The synonyms slight and forget are sometimes interchangeable, but slight implies contemptuous or disdainful disregarding or omitting.

slighted several major authors in her survey

Examples of forget in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Though the world often forgets the humanity of public figures, together, the two athletes have created a bubble of safety and understanding. —

Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 25 Oct. 2024 If your child forgets to do their chores or has to stay up late to get homework done, look at the situation as an opportunity to problem-solve together. —

Amy Morin, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024 Word to the wise: don’t forget to pack the charge cords for all your devices, because there’s no greater bummer than having the charger without any way to connect it to the things that need charging. —

Jen Ator, Travel + Leisure, 13 Oct. 2024 Don’t forget to keep saving even when your side hustle begins to bring in more revenue. —

Melissa Houston, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for forget

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forget.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Cite this Entry

Style

“Forget.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forget. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Last Updated: 28 Oct 2024 - Updated example sentences

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

amalgamate

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Synonyms of forget

verb

Synonym Chooser

Examples of forget in a Sentence

Thesaurus Entries Near forget

Cite this Entry