past participle
To have not remembered a person, thing, fact, or place.
I have forgotten her name.
The address was forgotten.
American English
How to pronounce forgotten
verb · adjectiveA1Very common word
forGAHtn
/fɔɹˈgɑ.t̚n̩/
3 syllables · Stress the second syllable.
Form of forget
Forgotten is used after have, has, or had, and in passive sentences with be. It can also describe something that is no longer remembered or cared about.
To have not remembered a person, thing, fact, or place.
What to listen for
“Forgotten” is usually pronounced /fɚˈgɑ.ʔn̩/, but you may also hear /fɔɹˈgɑ.ʔn̩/.
Usual pronunciation/fɚˈgɑ.ʔn̩/
Also heard/fɔɹˈgɑ.ʔn̩/
Meanings & examples
past participle
To have not remembered that you needed to do something, so you did not do it.
She had forgotten to buy milk.
I have forgotten to send the email.
past participle
To have no memory of doing something or of something that happened.
I have forgotten meeting him before.
She had forgotten saying those words.
Good to know
Use forgotten to talk about an action you did not remember doing.
past participle
To have left something somewhere because you did not remember to take it with you.
I had forgotten my keys at home.
She has forgotten her phone on the bus.
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.