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

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

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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

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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

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 forget And no one can forget Jill Stein’s Green Party spoiler effect on Hillary Clinton’s presidential chances in 2016. — semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026 An encounter like that would be memorable for most people, but somehow the pair forgot about each other for five years. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026 But her writing is so full of life, creativity and energy, and that’s what people tend to forget. — Ben Croll, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026 Sean and Heidi Cripe will never forget the call from their son’s high school saying Davis was being taken to the emergency room. — Laura Ungar, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forget

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forget

Verb

Still, Musk has a track record of setting optimistic release targets for Tesla products, only to miss them by years.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Analysts said then that the sell-off was caused as profit margins missed expectations, despite revenue and operating profit reaching record highs, according to analysts.

— Jenny Lee,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of miss

Verb

Since then, multiple efforts to phase out or ban horse carriages have failed.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
The exchange of threats comes as Saudi Arabia investigates why its air defenses failed to intercept a barrage of missiles and drones fired by the Houthis.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of fail

Verb

As music factories and generative tools take over entry-level work, newcomers risk losing a vital foothold in the industry.

— Ben Croll, Variety, 16 Oct. 2026
So instead of making teams whole each time, the NFL now just pays teams’ travel expenses for their international game under the rationale that every team will lose a home game—and, in turn, home game ticket revenue—during that time.

— Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of lose

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forges

forget

forgetful

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Style

“Forget.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forget. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of forget

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Synonyms of forget

verb

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