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

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

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 Don’t forget that his incredible talent inspired his nation to victory at the European Championships in 2016, a moment that his country will never forget. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 7 Oct. 2026 Da Corte and Onli do not state that Lichtenstein was the only master appropriator of the Pop movement—no one can forget Andy Warhol’s contributions, which the Whitney memorably surveyed in 2018. — Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Well, that was in post-Vietnam war and people forget that Southern California, besides the studios, is really the center of the military-industrial complex of our country. — Sean Woods, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2026 Don’t forget her Supervinyl hat, too—an ode to the popular Hollywood record store. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forget

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forget

Verb

Suite 800, Houston, TX 77056 (713) 840-8880 Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.

— CNBC.com staff, CNBC, 8 Oct. 2026
Cancer June 21 – July 22 Your mind is sharp today, especially for details other people miss.

— Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of miss

Verb

Corbett said such arguments ignore Illinois’ long history of underfunding public schools, with the state providing only about a quarter of school districts’ revenue, according to the State Board of Education’s most recent Illinois Report Card.

— Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 8 Oct. 2026
The shame lies with the governments who ignored the AIDS crisis and the stigma that was around people and the innate prejudice that was in society.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignore

Verb

Puri said students should build familiarity with AI tools but not neglect the skills that remain central when working with them.

— Corynn Winston, CNBC, 11 Oct. 2026
Los Sures Executive Director Juan Ramos said some landlords deliberately neglected or destroyed properties in an effort to force tenants out.

— Hannah Kliger, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of neglect

Verb

The three-stage rocket failed during its debut mission in October 2021 but is now riding a streak of four straight successes.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 Oct. 2026
The financial troubles are especially concerning because the Los Angeles Unified School District has failed to meet past budget reduction targets, the report concluded, and the stakes have become higher, with solutions more painful to carry out.

— Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of fail

Verb

What’s made this franchise so beloved has been its willingness to go on that journey with its young characters, maturing and deepening and changing without losing that initial childlike sense of hope and joy.

— Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026
This means, according to the team, that only about 2% of the electrical charge was lost to competing reactions.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of lose

Verb

The articles by Davidson and Craven in this sense exemplify a broader transphobic trend in the UK legacy media that minimizes or omits reference to the suffering of trans people.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Tompkins County District Attorney Matthew Van Houten has said Cornell police omitted key information that could have affected his decision whether or not to pursue criminal charges.

— Hallie Golden, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of omit

Browse Nearby Words

forges

forget

forgetful

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Forget.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forget. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of forget

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deportment

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of forget

verb

Synonym Chooser

Example Sentences

Phrases Containing forget

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

deportment

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Why do we call it a 'flea market'?

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes