FORGETTING Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

forgetting 1 of 3

adjective

as in forgetful

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forgetting

2 of 3

noun

as in ignoring

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Dissimilar Words

forgetting

3 of 3

verb

present participle of forget

as in missing

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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as in shirking

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in failing

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

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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

Noun

While Platner and his men fought in Fallujah, a wave of public forgetting was already under way. — Jasper Craven, New Yorker, 24 July 2026 Whereas the poem ends with order restored, the film leaves history caught in an endless cycle of collapse, rebirth and forgetting. — Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 Rather than presenting memory as a complete record of the past, Fragments of Remembering explores the space between remembering and forgetting. — Photovogue, Vogue, 2 July 2026 Inside, boards blackened by smoke and sweat, the air sweet with cane and forgetting. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 May 2026 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 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

He's still plagued with symptoms ranging from dizziness and migraines to forgetting daily tasks and responsibilities to his wife and children. — ABC News, 6 Aug. 2026 He’s still plagued with symptoms ranging from dizziness and migraines to forgetting daily tasks and responsibilities to his wife and children. — Ben Finley, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026 Fans are no doubt excited to return to the optimistic, big-hearted world of Ted Lasso, but they would also be forgiven for forgetting some details about where the story left off. — Rachel Labonte, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Aug. 2026 Ahead of the vote, Ghana President John Dramani Mahama delivered a powerful speech telling the room that the resolution was to safeguard against forgetting. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2026 Today, dozens or even hundreds of AI tools are released every week, and developers often bet on the most efficient models as a competitive advantage, forgetting to build them into the workflow properly. — Arthur Azizov, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026 Those who aren’t are forgetting their history, Wilkerson said. — Matthew Adams, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2026 Set a reminder to remember early-morning waterings, or set up sprinklers that do it automatically so there’s no chance of forgetting. — Melissa Epifano, The Spruce, 26 July 2026 Never forgetting your past, but also living in the present, and always striving to do more in the future. — Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 16 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetting

Adjective

Indi Star plays Violet Angel, who grew up on a farm and recently suffered a head injury due to a fall on her dad’s tractor, which leads to some comically forgetful moments.

— Kimberly Nordyke, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
But even aside from my personal brush with the ex-factor, everyone appears to be a little forgetful right now.

— Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 15 July 2026

Definition of forgetful

Noun

Strategic ignoring begins with recognizing that attention is not an unlimited asset, but a leadership resource.

— Nick Leighton, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
Addressing Modern Behavior Patterns Verification tools such as these address behavior patterns such as preemptive ignoring, digital curiosity, and selective responsiveness, all of which have become more common in recent years.

— Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 26 Feb. 2026

Definition of ignoring

Verb

Ordinarily, the subtle tilt in the moon's orbit causes its shadow to pass just below, or above our planet, missing it entirely.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 Aug. 2026
In between, Nelson was fired after less than one season in New York in 1995-96, then coached in Dallas for eight seasons, missing 21 games with the Mavericks starting in December 2000 to recuperate from prostate cancer surgery.

— John Raby, Chicago Tribune, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of missing

Verb

Since voters returned Worrell to office in 2024, Uthmeier has repeatedly accused her of neglecting her duties as a prosecutor.

— Silas Morgan, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Aug. 2026
Understanding these methods is crucial for tax compliance and cash flow and to avoid common mistakes like excessive draws or neglecting payroll registration.

— AllBusiness, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of neglecting

Adjective

The Amnesty Most Expats Don't Know Exists The IRS understands that some Americans are simply unaware of their filing obligations while living abroad.

— Nathalie Goldstein, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Lueck said the names are a cool way to bring in a crowd unaware of piping plovers.

— Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of unaware

Noun

The disregard for women’s sports is not a new struggle for anyone who has followed or fought for women’s sports before.

— Tamerra Griffin, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026
The current charge against Comey, in short, relies on a tendentious interpretation of an innocuous term combined with a disregard for the First Amendment in order to gin up charges against a man Trump has been targeting openly for nearly a decade.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Definition of disregard

Verb

This is good energy for planning a date, creative project, or one-on-one conversation that needs structure without losing spark.

— Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 8 Aug. 2026
Former Miss North Carolina USA Brittany Boltinhouse is breaking her silence about losing her title weeks after winning the state pageant.

— Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of losing

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“Forgetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgetting. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of forgetting

adjective

noun

verb

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