FORGETFUL Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

forgetful

adjective

fər-ˈget-fəl

Definition of forgetful

as in preoccupied

inclined to forget what one has learned or to do what one should we become more forgetful as we get older

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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 forgetful What are the most forgetful cities? — Irene Wright, USA Today, 3 June 2026 Ranking above Chicago as most forgetful cities are Miami and New York. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 2 June 2026 What also follows is a useless debate over the cultural impact of the movie amid concerns that the film is a little loose with the truth or outright forgetful about key moments of Jackson’s complex and complicated life. — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 25 Apr. 2026 Meanwhile, Wilson’s wife shared a meme appearing to compare MacInnes to Dory, the forgetful fish in the Pixar movies, and this was submitted to the court. — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forgetful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetful

Adjective

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seems more preoccupied with posting juvenile memes about the Canadian military than with the conflict.

— Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
Many 9/11 first responders alive today feel as Sanchez does, more preoccupied with their survivor’s guilt than their own ailments.

— Lila Dominus, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of preoccupied

Adjective

Todd Snider, sickly skinny and confused, sat on a bench surrounded by police and a few uniformed members of the Salt Lake City Fire Department.

— Geoff Edgers, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026
Henry’s horrified too, but my guy’s also confused because instead of really feeling for what her husband has been through, Julia is cold and distant.

— Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of confused

Adjective

Atiqullah remained at midfield, oblivious, the blanket over his head.

— Dexter Filkins, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
Keeping her husband happy yet oblivious—managing his baby fever with staged fake miscarriages—only goes so far when Martha begins suffering an inexplicable illness that culminates in an impossible pregnancy.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of oblivious

Adjective

What appears before the bewildered trio is a boy with a face resembling a frog’s, named Fūsuke.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Oct. 2026
But Iñárritu’s caricatures become people in a way Kubrick’s don’t; as the bewildered President, for example, John Goodman is simultaneously grounded and theatrical in his presentation, recalling his best work with the Coen brothers.

— Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of bewildered

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forget

forgetful

forgetfulness

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

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Synonyms of forgetful

adjective

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