gerund noun
It is the act of not remembering a person, thing, fact, or place.
Forgetting important dates can be embarrassing.
Forgetting where I put my keys is frustrating.
American English
How to pronounce forgetting
noun · verbA1Very common word
forGEHdihng
/fɔɹˈgɛ.ɾɪŋ/
3 syllables · Stress the second syllable.
Form of forget
Forgetting can act as a noun for an activity, or it can be part of an ongoing verb phrase after forms of be.
It is the act of not remembering a person, thing, fact, or place.
What to listen for
The usual pronunciation of “forgetting” is /fɚˈgɛ.ɾɪŋ/. You may also hear /fɔɹˈgɛ.ɾɪŋ/; both are correct American pronunciations.
Usual pronunciation/fɚˈgɛ.ɾɪŋ/
Common alternate/fɔɹˈgɛ.ɾɪŋ/
Meanings & examples
present participle
It describes an ongoing failure to remember a person, thing, fact, or place.
I am forgetting her name again.
The patient is forgetting important details.
gerund noun
It is the act of not doing something because you did not remember to do it.
Forgetting to send the invitation caused a delay.
He apologized for forgetting to lock the door.
present participle
It describes failing to remember to do something.
I am forgetting to call Mom today.
She is forgetting to bring her ID again.
Useful expressions
To stop thinking or worrying about something.
Try to forget about work tonight.
Used to say that something is not important or that you do not want to continue.
Forget it—we can talk tomorrow.
To stop being angry about something someone did and move on.
I apologized, and she decided to forgive and forget.
Related words & forms
The past forms are forgot and forgotten, not forgetted; use forgotten after have, has, or had. The -ing form is forgetting, with two t's.