INDEX:
1. to forget something
2. to suddenly forget something
3. to forget to bring something
4. to try not to think about something
5. someone who often forgets things
6. a medical condition that makes you forget things
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ REMEMBER
see also
↑ REMIND/MAKE SB REMEMBER
◆◆◆
1. to forget something
▷ forget /fəʳˈget/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to no longer remember information, something that happened in the past, or something that you must do :
▪ I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.
▪ It was an experience she would never forget.
▪ It’s his birthday tomorrow. I hope you haven’t forgotten.
forget what/where/how etc
▪ She forgot where she’d left her keys.
forget (that)
▪ I keep forgetting that you’re allergic to chocolate.
forget to do something
▪ Don’t forget to call your mom tomorrow.
forget about
▪ Tom had forgotten about Tanya coming to stay.
forget all about something
▪ I forgot all about tomorrow’s exam.
completely forget
▪ I completely forgot about the meeting.
I forget
spoken I have forgotten
▪ She had this boyfriend - I forget his name - who was an actor.
▷ don’t remember/can’t remember /ˌdəʊnt rɪˈmembəʳ, ˌkɑːnt rɪˈmembəʳǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase]
to not be able to remember something that you want to remember :
▪ ‘How did you get home after the party?’ ‘I don’t remember.’
▪ I was going to phone you, but I couldn’t remember your number.
▪ Brad doesn’t remember much about his mother because she died when he was small.
don’t/can’t remember doing something
▪ Has she got an invitation? I don’t remember inviting her.
don’t remember/can’t remember what/where/how etc
▪ I don’t remember exactly what happened.
▪ He couldn’t remember where he put his coat.
▷ have no recollection of /hæv ˌnəʊ rekəˈlekʃ ə n ɒv/ [verb phrase not in progressive] formal
to not be able to remember something :
▪ He claims to have no recollection of the incident.
▪ I have no recollection of living in Australia, as my family left for England when I was three years old.
▷ slip your mind /ˌslɪp jɔːʳ ˈmaɪnd/ [verb phrase]
if something that you must do, especially something that is not very important, slips your mind, you forget to do it because you are too busy thinking about other things :
▪ ‘I’m sure we agreed to meet here.’ ‘Maybe it’s just slipped his mind.’
2. to suddenly forget something
▷ it’s on the tip of my tongue /ɪts ɒn ðə ˌtɪp əv maɪ ˈtʌŋ/ [verb phrase] spoken
use this to say that you know a name or word, but you are having difficulty remembering it at that moment :
▪ That place we visited in Paris, what’s it called? It’s on the tip of my tongue.
▷ escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ [transitive verb] spoken
if a name, detail, fact etc escapes you, you forget it for a very short time but you know you will remember it soon :
▪ I know I’ve heard this song before but its name escapes me.
▪ Although I know that the novel was published in the nineteenth century, the actual date escapes me.
▷ can’t place /ˌkɑːnt ˈpleɪsǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase] spoken
if you can’t place someone or something, you recognize them but have forgotten their name or where you met them before :
▪ I’m sure I’ve seen him before, but I just can’t place him.
▪ Her perfume seemed so familiar but he couldn’t place it
▷ your mind goes blank /jɔːʳ ˌmaɪnd gəʊz ˈblæŋk/
if your mind goes blank you are suddenly unable to remember something at a time when you need it :
▪ That’s... Oh, my mind’s gone blank -- I can’t remember her name.
▪ My mind goes blank when I have to take a test.
▷ dry up /ˌdraɪ ˈʌp/ [intransitive phrasal verb] British
to forget what you were going to say or what you are supposed to say when speaking or acting, especially because you are nervous :
▪ I dried up just as I was about to talk, even though I had been preparing the speech for weeks.
▪ There was one worrying moment where one of the actors seemed to dry up for a few seconds.
▷ go in one ear and out the other /gəʊ ˌɪn wʌn ˌɪər ənd ˌaʊt ði ˈʌðəʳ/ [verb phrase]
if details, a piece of information etc go in one ear and out the other, you forget them very quickly because you are not interested or not listening properly :
▪ She understands nothing about football so it all goes in one ear and out the other.
▪ He was trying to explain the assignment to me but it just went in one ear and out the other.
3. to forget to bring something
▷ forget /fəʳˈget/ [transitive verb]
to not bring something that you intended to bring, because you did not think of it :
▪ Michael was at the airport before he realized he’d forgotten his passport.
▪ Oh, I forgot your camera. Is it all right if I bring it to you tomorrow?
▪ Don’t let me forget my purse.
▷ leave /liːv/ [transitive verb]
to forget to take something with you when you leave :
▪ I can’t find my coat - I must have left it at work.
leave something behind
▪ Oh no! I think I left my credit card behind at the restaurant.
4. to try not to think about something
▷ forget /fəʳˈget/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to deliberately try not to think about something sad or unpleasant :
▪ I’ve been trying not to think about her but my friends won’t let me forget.
▪ a war the country was trying to forget
▪ Years after they had gotten divorced, Olivia found it very difficult to forget John.
forget (that)
▪ Forget I mentioned it. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.
forget about
▪ We can forget about the accident now and concentrate on getting on with our lives.
▷ put something out of your mind /ˌpʊt something aʊt əv jɔːʳ ˈmaɪnd/ [verb phrase]
to try to make yourself stop thinking about something that makes you angry, sad, or nervous :
▪ It’s time to put her out of your mind and find a new girlfriend.
▪ I was nervous about flying for the first time but I tried to put it out of my mind.
▷ put something behind you /ˌpʊt something bɪˈhaɪnd juː/ [verb phrase]
to try not to think about something sad or unpleasant that happened in the past so that you can continue with your life and try to be happy :
▪ Try and put the incident behind you and get on with normal life.
▪ The team have put last night’s loss behind them and are looking forward to next week’s game.
▷ take/keep your mind off /ˌteɪk, ˌkiːp jɔːʳ ˈmaɪnd ɒf/ [verb phrase]
if an activity takes your mind off a worrying problem, it makes you not think about it for a short time :
▪ Joe suggested a game of cards to take my mind off things.
▪ Staying busy helped keep his mind off his troubles.
5. someone who often forgets things
▷ have a bad/terrible/awful etc memory /hæv ə ˌbæd ˈmem ə ri/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to not be good at remembering facts or information :
▪ I’m sorry for forgetting to phone her - I have a terrible memory.
have a bad/terrible/awful etc memory for
▪ I have a bad memory for names.
▷ forgetful /fəʳˈgetf ə l/ [adjective] usually
someone who is forgetful often forgets things, especially things they have to do :
▪ My grandfather’s getting so forgetful - I have to remind him to take his medication.
▪ She was easily distracted and forgetful at school.
forgetfulness [uncountable noun]
▪ Victims of the disease typically complain of dizziness, headaches, and forgetfulness.
▷ absent-minded /ˌæbs ə nt ˈmaɪndə̇d◂/ [adjective]
someone who is absent-minded often forgets things because they are thinking about other things :
▪ He’s a brilliant scientist but hopelessly absent-minded.
absent-mindedness [uncountable noun]
▪ Mrs. Chamorro was famous for her occasional absent-mindedness.
▷ have a memory like a sieve /hæv ə ˌmem ə ri laɪk ə ˈsɪv/ [verb phrase not in progressive] British informal
to not be able to remember facts or information, even for a short time :
▪ You’d better remind him about the party - he’s got a memory like a sieve!
6. a medical condition that makes you forget things
▷ amnesia /æmˈniːziəǁ-ʒə/ [uncountable noun]
the medical condition of not being able to remember a particular period of time or particular events or facts, caused by an injury or a very bad emotional shock :
▪ A man suffering from amnesia was identified by his sister, who saw his picture on television.
amnesiac /æmˈniːziæk/ [countable noun]
▪ In his latest film he plays an amnesiac someone with amnesia who meets his wife but doesn’t recognize her.
▷ memory loss also loss of memory /ˈmem ə ri ˌlɒs, ˌlɒs əv ˈmem ə riǁˌlɔːs-/ [noun phrase]
the inability to remember a particular period of time or particular events or facts, especially for a short time, caused by old age, illness, the effects of drugs etc :
▪ Heimdal was critically injured in an accident and suffered head and back injuries, and memory loss.