forget

See also: Forget

English

Etymology

From Middle English forgeten, forgiten, foryeten, forȝiten, from Old English forġietan (“to forget”) [influenced by Old Norse geta ("to get, to guess")], from Proto-West Germanic *fragetan (“to give up, forget”). Equivalent to for- +‎ get.

Cognate with :

• Scots forget, forȝet (“to forget”),
• West Frisian fergette, ferjitte, forjitte (“to forget”),
• Dutch vergeten (“to forget”),
• German vergessen (“to forget”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /fəˈɡɛt/, (less commonly:) /fɔːˈɡɛt/

• Audio (RP, ‘to forget’)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /fɚˈɡɛt/, (less commonly:) /fɔɹˈɡɛt/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛt
• Hyphenation: for‧get

Verb

forget (third-person singular simple present forgets, present participle forgetting, simple past forgot or (archaic) forgat, past participle forgotten or (rare) forgot)

1. (transitive) To lose remembrance of.

   I have forgotten most of the things I learned in school.

   • 1593, Tho[mas] Nashe, Christs Teares Over Ierusalem. […], London: […] Iames Roberts, and are to be solde by Andrewe Wise, […], OCLC 846581854, folio 60, verso:

     VVe (of all earthlings) are Gods vtmoſt ſubiects, the laſt (in a manner) that he bought to his obedience: ſhal we then forgette that vvee are any ſubiects of hys, becauſe (as amongſt his Angels) he is not viſibly conuerſant amongſt vs?

   • 1922, Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit

     For at least two hours the Boy loved him, and then Aunts and Uncles came to dinner, and there was a great rustling of tissue paper and unwrapping of parcels, and in the excitement of looking at all the new presents the Velveteen Rabbit was forgotten.

2. (transitive) To unintentionally not do, neglect.

   I forgot to buy flowers for my wife at our 14th wedding anniversary.

3. (transitive) To unintentionally leave something behind.

   I forgot my car keys in the living room.

4. (intransitive) To cease remembering.

   Let's just forget about it.

5. (slang) Euphemism for fuck, screw (a mild oath).

   Forget you!

Usage notes

• In sense 1 and 4 this is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing).
• In sense 2 this is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive.
• See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

• obliviate, overlook, pass over, disremember

Antonyms

• acquire, learn, mind, recall, recollect, remember, reminisce

Derived terms

Terms derived from forget

• catastrophic forgetting
• forget about
• forgetful
• forget-me-not

• forget oneself
• forgettable
• forgetter

• unforgettable

Translations

to lose remembrance of

• Afrikaans: vergeet
• Aklanon: lipat
• Albanian: harroj (sq)
• American Sign Language: OpenB@Forehead-PalmBack OpenA@FromSfhead-ThumbAside
• Amharic: ረሳ (räsa), መርሳት (märsat)
• Arabic: نَسِيَ‎ (nasiya)

  Egyptian Arabic: نسي‎ (nisi)

  Moroccan Arabic: نسى‎ (nsa)

• Armenian: մոռանալ (hy) (moṙanal)
• Aromanian: ultu, agãrshescu, xihãsescu
• Assamese: পাহৰ (pahor), পাহৰি যা (pahori za)
• Asturian: escaecer
• Azerbaijani: unutmaq (az), yaddan çıxmaq
• Bashkir: онотоу (onotou)
• Basque: ahaztu, ahantzi
• Belarusian: забыва́ць impf (zabyvácʹ), забы́ць pf (zabýcʹ)
• Bengali: ভুলে যাওয়া (bhule jaẇa)
• Breton: ankounac'haat (br)
• Bulgarian: забра́вям (bg) impf (zabrávjam), забра́вя (bg) pf (zabrávja)
• Burmese: မေ့ (my) (me.), ဖြေဖျောက် (my) (hprehpyauk)
• Buryat: мартаха (martaxa)
• Catalan: oblidar (ca)
• Cebuano: limot
• Chechen: диц да (dic da)
• Cherokee: ᎤᏮᎨᏫᏍᎦ (uwvgewisga), ᎬᎨᏫᏍᏗ (gvgewisdi)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 唔記得, 唔记得 (m⁴ gei³ dak¹)

  Dungan: вон (von), вондё (vondi͡o)

  Mandarin: 忘記 (zh), 忘记 (zh) (wàngjì), 忘 (zh) (wàng), 忘掉 (zh) (wàngdiào)

  Min Nan: 𣍐記得, 𫧃記得 (bōe-kì-tit / bǒe-kì-tit / bē-kì-tit / bōe-kì-chit / bē-kì-chit / bōe-kì-lit / bē-kì-lit / bōe-kì-eh / bē-kì-eh)

  Wu: 忘記, 忘记 (maan ji)

• Czech: zapomínat (cs) impf, zapomenout (cs) pf
• Dalmatian: dementicur
• Danish: glemme (da)
• Dutch: vergeten (nl)
• Egyptian: (smḫ)
• Elfdalian: glemm åv
• Esperanto: forgesi (eo)
• Estonian: unustama (et)
• Even: омҥа- (omŋa-)
• Evenki: омңо- (omңo-)
• Extremaduran: orvial
• Faroese: gloyma
• Finnish: unohtaa (fi)
• Franco-Provençal: oubliar
• French: oublier (fr)
• Friulian: dismenteâ, disgludâ
• Galician: esquecer (gl), esquencer
• Gallurese: sminticà, ulvidà
• Georgian: დავიწყება (davic̣q̇eba)
• German: verlernen (de), vergessen (de), диц да
• Gothic: 𐌿𐍆𐌰𐍂𐌼𐌿𐌽𐌽𐍉𐌽 (ufarmunnōn)
• Greek: ξεχνώ (el) (xechnó)

  Ancient: ἐπιλανθάνομαι (epilanthánomai), ἀμνηστέω (amnēstéō)

• Greenlandic: puiguivoq, puiuivoq
• Hawaiian: poina
• Hebrew: שָׁכַח‎ (he) (shakhákh)
• Higaonon: kalipat
• Hindi: भूलना (hi) (bhūlnā), भूल जाना (hi) (bhūl jānā)
• Hungarian: felejt (hu), elfelejt (hu)
• Icelandic: gleyma (is)
• Ido: obliviar (io)
• Indonesian: lupa (id)
• Ingush: диц де (dic de)
• Interlingua: oblidar
• Irish: dearmad a dhéanamh de
• Istriot: desmaèntegà
• Italian: dimenticare (it), scordare (it)
• Japanese: 忘れる (ja) (わすれる, wasureru)
• Javanese: lali (jv) (casual), kesupen (polite)
• Kabyle: ttu
• Kazakh: ұмыту (kk) (umıtw)
• Khmer: ភ្លេច (km) (phlɨc)
• Korean: 잊다 (ko) (itda), 잊어버리다 (ko) (ijeobeorida)
• Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: ji bîr kirin (ku), jibîrkirin (ku)

• Kyrgyz: унутуу (ky) (unutuu)
• Lao: ລືມ (lư̄m)

• Latin: oblīvīscor, amitto memoriam, dedisco
• Latvian: aizmirst
• Lithuanian: pamiršti
• Low German:

  German Low German: vergeten

• Luxembourgish: vergiessen
• Macedonian: заборава (zaborava)
• Malay: lupa
• Maltese: nesa
• Manchu: ᠣᠩᡤᠣᠮᠪᡳ (onggombi)
• Maori: wareware
• Maranao: lipat
• Marathi: विसरणे (mr) (visarṇe)
• Mongolian: мартах (mn) (martakh)
• Nahuatl: ilcahua
• Nanai: онгбо-
• Neapolitan: scurdà
• Ngazidja Comorian: uɗiwaza
• Norman: oublier
• North Frisian: (Mooring) ferjeese, (Föhr-Amrum) ferjid
• Northern Sami: vajálduhttit
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: glemme (no), glømme

  Nynorsk: gløyma

• Occitan: demembrar (oc), doblidar (oc), oblidar (oc)
• Old English: forġietan
• Old Javanese: lali
• Old Norse: gleyma
• Osage: kisúðaži
• Pashto: هېرول‎ (herawᶕl), له ياده ايستل‎ (layãdaistǝ́l), له ياده وتل‎ (layãdawatǝ́l)
• Persian: فراموش کردن‎ (fa) (farâmuš kardan)
• Pipil: -elkawa, -elcahua
• Polish: zapominać (pl) impf, zapomnieć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: esquecer (pt)
• Quechua: qunqay (qu), gongai
• Romanian: uita (ro)
• Romansch: emblidar, amblidar, invlidar
• Russian: забыва́ть (ru) impf (zabyvátʹ), забы́ть (ru) pf (zabýtʹ)
• Sanskrit: मृष्यति (sa) (mṛṣyati), विस्मरति (sa) (vismarati)
• Santali: ᱦᱤᱲᱤᱧ (hiṛiñ)
• Sardinian: olvidare, orbidare, ulvidare, ismenticare, ismentigare, ilmentigare, iscadèssere, iscaèssere

  Campidanese: iscarèsciri, olvidai, scaresciri

  Logudorese: irmenticare, iscarèssere, olvidare

• Sassarese: dimintigà, immintigà
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: забо̀рављати impf, забо̀равити pf, сме̏тнути, за̀бити pf (Kajkavian)

  Roman: zabòravljati (sh) impf, zabòraviti (sh) pf, smȅtnuti (sh), zàbiti (sh) pf (Kajkavian)

• Sicilian: scurdàrisi (scn)
• Sinhalese: අමතක වෙනවා (amataka wenawā)
• Slovak: zabúdať impf, zabudnúť (sk) pf
• Slovene: pozabiti (sl) pf
• Spanish: olvidar (es)
• Swahili: -sahau
• Swedish: glömma (sv), förgäta (sv) (archaic)
• Sylheti: ꠙꠣꠅꠞꠣ (faora), ꠙꠣꠅꠞꠤ ꠎꠣꠅꠣ (faori zaoa)
• Tagalog: makalimutan
• Tajik: фаромуш кардан (faromuš kardan)
• Tamil: மற (ta) (maṟa)
• Tatar: онытырга (tt) (onıtırga)
• Tetum: haluha
• Thai: ลืม (th) (lʉʉm)
• Tibetan: བརྗེད་པ (brjed pa)
• Tigrinya: ረስዐ (räsʿä)
• Turkish: unutmak (tr)
• Turkmen: unutmak
• Udmurt: вунэтыны (vunetyny)
• Ukrainian: забува́ти impf (zabuváty), забу́ти pf (zabúty)
• Urdu: بھولنا‎ (bhūlnā), بھول جانا‎ (bhūl jānā)
• Uyghur: ئۇنتۇماق‎ (untumaq)
• Uzbek: unutmoq (uz)
• Venetian: desmentegar
• Vietnamese: quên (vi)
• Walloon: rovyî (wa)
• Welsh: anghofio (cy)
• West Frisian: ferjitte
• Yiddish: פֿאַרגעסן‎ (fargesn)

to unintentionally not do

• Arabic: نَسِيَ‎ (nasiya)
• Armenian: մոռանալ (hy) (moṙanal)
• Basque: ahaztu, ahantzi
• Catalan: descuidar-se (ca), oblidar-se (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 忽略 (zh) (hūlüè)

• Czech: zapomenout (cs)
• Dutch: vergeten (nl), nalaten (nl)
• Estonian: unustama (et)
• Faroese: gloyma
• Finnish: unohtaa (fi)
• French: oublier (fr)
• Galician: esquecer (gl)
• Gallurese: sminticà, ulvidà
• Georgian: დავიწყება (davic̣q̇eba)
• German: vergessen (de)
• Greek: ξεχνώ (el) (xechnó)
• Hungarian: megfeledkezik (hu), elfelejt (hu)
• Italian: dimenticare (it)

• Japanese: 忘れる (ja) (わすれる, wasureru)
• Latin: oblīvīscor
• Latvian: aizmirst
• Macedonian: заборава (zaborava)
• Norman: oublier
• Northern Sami: vajálduhttit
• Polish: zapominać (pl) impf, zapomnieć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: esquecer (pt)
• Romanian: uita (ro)
• Russian: забыва́ть (ru) impf (zabyvátʹ), забы́ть (ru) pf (zabýtʹ)
• Sardinian:

  Campidanese: iscarèsciri, olvidai, scaresciri

  Logudorese: irmenticare, iscarèssere, olvidare

• Sassarese: dimintigà, immintigà
• Spanish: olvidar (es)
• Swedish: glömma (sv)
• Tagalog: kalimutan
• Turkish: unutmak (tr)
• Walloon: rovyî (wa)
• Welsh: anghofio (cy)

to leave behind

• Arabic: نَسِيَ‎ (nasiya)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: unohtaa (fi)
• French: oublier (fr)
• Georgian: დავიწყება (davic̣q̇eba)
• German: verlegen (de), vergessen (de)
• Greek: ξεχνώ (el) (xechnó), λησμονώ (el) (lismonó)

• Japanese: 忘れる (ja) (wasureru)
• Kabyle: ttu
• Northern Sami: vajálduhttit
• Russian: забыва́ть (ru) impf (zabyvátʹ), забы́ть (ru) pf (zabýtʹ)
• Spanish: dejar (es)
• Swedish: glömma (sv)
• Thai: ลืม (th) (lʉʉm)
• Turkish: unutmak (tr)
• Welsh: anghofio (cy)

to cease remembering

• Arabic: نَسِيَ‎ (nasiya)
• Armenian: մոռանալ (hy) (moṙanal)
• Basque: ahaztu, ahantzi
• Bulgarian: забравям (bg) (zabravjam)
• Catalan: oblidar-se (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 忘記 (zh), 忘记 (zh) (wàngjì)

• Czech: zapomenout (cs), zapomínat (cs)
• Dutch: vergeten (nl)
• Faroese: gloyma
• Finnish: unohtaa (fi)
• French: oublier (fr)
• Georgian: დავიწყება (davic̣q̇eba)
• German: vergessen (de)
• Greek: ξεχνώ (el) (xechnó)
• Japanese: 忘れる (ja) (wasureru)

• Latin: obliviscor
• Latvian: aizmirst
• Macedonian: заборава (zaborava)
• Norman: oublier
• Northern Sami: vajálduhttit
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: glemme (no), glømme

  Nynorsk: gløyma

• Polish: zapominać (pl) impf, zapomnieć (pl) pf
• Portuguese: esquecer (pt)
• Romanian: uita (ro)
• Russian: забыва́ть (ru) impf (zabyvátʹ), забы́ть (ru) pf (zabýtʹ)
• Spanish: olvidar (es)
• Swedish: glömma (sv)
• Walloon: rovyî (wa)
• Welsh: anghofio (cy)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Arabic: ^{(please verify)} ذَهَبَ‎ (ar) (ḏahaba), ^{(please verify)} نَامَ‎ (nāma)
• Chickasaw: ^{(please verify)} imalhkaniya
• German: ^{(please verify)} abhaken (de)
• Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} אבד‎ (he)
• Hindi: ^{(please verify)} भूल जाना (hi) (bhūl jānā)
• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} gleyma (is)
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} lupa (id), ^{(please verify)} alpa (id), ^{(please verify)} lalai (id), ^{(please verify)} melupakan (id)
• Italian: (1) ^{(please verify)} dimenticare (it), (forget to do) ^{(please verify)} dimenticare di fare , (forget how to do) ^{(please verify)} dimenticare come si fa , (1,2) ^{(please verify)} scordare (it), (3) ^{(please verify)} dimenticarsi (it), (3) ^{(please verify)} scordarsi (it), ^{(please verify)} disimprimere, ^{(please verify)} disapprendere (it)
• Korean: ^{(please verify)} 잊다 (ko) (itda)

• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} لەبیربوون‎ (lebîrbûn)

• Mongolian: ^{(please verify)} мартах (mn) (martakh)
• Old English: ^{(please verify)} forġietan
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} uita (ro)
• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} zaboraviti (sh)
• Swedish: ^{(please verify)} förgäta (sv)
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} మరచిపోవు (maracipōvu) (1, 2, 3)
• Tetum: ^{(please verify)} haluha

References

• forget in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• “forget” in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.