forgot
B1Neutral to informal. Common in everyday speech and writing; 'forgot' is more common than 'forgotten' in informal spoken past constructions (e.g., "I forgot to call").
Definition
Meaning
The simple past tense of the verb 'forget', meaning to fail to remember or to cease to think of.
Can imply inadvertent neglect, a deliberate act of overlooking, or the fading of an emotional or mental connection. Also used as a past participle in some non-standard dialects (e.g., "I have forgot the keys").
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a past tense, it describes a completed failure to remember. It is often followed by an infinitive ('to do') or a noun phrase. Can sometimes carry an emotional weight, indicating neglect or abandonment. The past participle 'forgotten' is standard in perfect tenses (have/had forgotten).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is largely identical. Very minor tendency for 'forgot' to be used as a past participle in informal American English ('I've forgot the name'), though 'forgotten' remains standard in both. The phonetics differ slightly.
Connotations
Identical.
Frequency
The word is equally high-frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
forgot + NP (e.g., I forgot the code.)forgot + to-infinitive (e.g., She forgot to lock the door.)forgot + that-clause (e.g., He forgot that the meeting was today.)forgot + about + NP (e.g., They forgot about the deadline.)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Forgot oneself (lost self-control or behaved improperly)”
- “Forgot to pay the rent (slang for being mentally absent or eccentric)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"I'm afraid I forgot to attach the report to my last email." Indicates a minor professional oversight.
Academic
"The author forgot to account for several key variables in the initial model." Used to critique an omission.
Everyday
"Sorry I'm late, I completely forgot we were meeting today." Extremely common in casual apologies.
Technical
Less common. Might appear in UI copy: "Forgot your password? Click here to reset."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- I forgot my umbrella at the pub.
- She forgot to buy milk at the shops.
American English
- I forgot my umbrella at the bar.
- She forgot to buy milk at the store.
adverb
British English
- It is not an adverb.
- N/A
American English
- It is not an adverb.
- N/A
adjective
British English
- It is not a standard adjective.
- N/A
American English
- It is not a standard adjective.
- N/A
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I forgot my book.
- He forgot his friend's name.
- We forgot the homework.
- I forgot to reply to her email yesterday.
- They forgot that the museum is closed on Mondays.
- She completely forgot about our dinner plans.
- In the heat of the argument, he forgot his own principles.
- The government appears to have forgotten its promises to the electorate.
- I'd completely forgotten how beautiful this coastline is.
- The historian argues that we have collectively forgotten the lessons of the past.
- She had momentarily forgotten herself and voiced an undiplomatic opinion.
- The protocol was so convoluted that even the experts forgot a crucial step.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'FOR' and a 'GOT' that you lost: you FOR-GOT it, meaning it's no longer in your possession mentally.
Conceptual Metaphor
MEMORY IS A STORAGE CONTAINER (the item fell out). MEMORY IS A WRITTEN RECORD (the writing faded).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation from Russian 'забыл(а)' in perfective contexts; English requires a past tense ('I forgot'), not a present perfect ('I have forgotten') for a simple past event. Confusion between 'forgot to do' (не сделал) and 'forgot doing' (не помнил, что сделал).
Common Mistakes
- Using 'forgot' as past participle in formal writing (e.g., 'I have forgot' instead of 'I have forgotten'). Confusing 'I forgot doing it' (I don't remember the act) with 'I forgot to do it' (I failed to perform the act).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'forgot' CORRECTLY?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In standard modern English, 'forgotten' is the correct past participle (used with 'have', 'has', 'had'). 'Forgot' is the simple past tense. Example: Simple Past: 'I forgot my password yesterday.' Present Perfect: 'I have forgotten my password.'
'Forgot to do' means you failed to perform an action. ('I forgot to call her.' = I did not call.) 'Forgot doing' means you have no memory of performing an action you actually did. ('I forgot calling her.' = I called her, but I don't remember it.) The latter is less common.
Yes, the simple past tense 'forgot' is perfectly acceptable in formal writing (e.g., 'The study forgot to consider one demographic.'). However, avoid using 'forgot' as a past participle in formal contexts; always use 'forgotten' with auxiliary verbs.
In British IPA /fəˈɡɒt/, the 'o' is pronounced like the 'o' in 'lot' or 'hot'. In American IPA /fərˈɡɑːt/, it is pronounced like the 'a' in 'father' or 'spa'.