To lose, temporarily or permanently, the power of recalling to consciousness (something once known or thought of); permit to pass, for a time or forever, from the mind; cease or fail to remember. Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him. Gen. xl. 23.Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Ps. ciii. 2.Here the matter is treated lightly, as exciting no attention; or passed, as never to be known, or, if known, only to be forgot.Sir W. Hamilton.The genius of Sallust is still with us. But the Numidians whom he plundered … are forgotten.Macaulay, Lord Bacon.The after-world forgets my name, Nor do I wish it known. M. Arnold, Obermann Once More.
Figuratively, to overlook or neglect in any way; fail to take thought of; lose care for. Can a woman forget her sucking child? … Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Isa. xlix. 15.The terrour of such new and resolute opposition made them forget thir wonted valour. Milton, Hist. Eng., ii.The greater part of the walls, towers, and gates of Salona, not forgetting a gate which has been made out in the long walls themselves, all belong to one general style of masonry. E. A. Freeman, Venice, p. 166.
To forget one's self to lose one's dignity or self-control, and say or do something unbecoming in or unworthy of one. Urge me no more, I shall forget myself.Shak., J. C., iv. 3.But I am heated, And do forget this presence and myself: Your pardon, lady. Beau. and Fl., Laws of Candy, ii. 1.
What people forget is that at the outset of his career a public servant earned somewhat under a hundred francs a month.
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Maigret's Memoirs
Oglethorpe, therefore, keeping his eye upon the Prince, and smiling all the time, as if he took what his Highness had done in jest, said 'Man Prince, â”' (I forget the French words he used, the purport however was.) 'That's a good joke; but we do it much better in England;' and threw a whole glass of wine in the Prince's face.
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Life Of Johnson
One thing I’ll never be able to forget is the aggro level of Journalists’ Union conferences.
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Conferences are Murder
What all of you seem to forget is that I’ve worked long and hard to get where I am.
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Something Wild
from Middle Englishforgeten, forgiten, forʒeten, forʒiten (preteritforgat, forʒat, foryat, past participleforgeten, forʒeten, foryeten, forʒute, forgote), from Anglo-Saxonforgitan, forgietan, forgytan (preteritforgeat, pluralforgeáton, forgœ¯ton, forgēton, past participleforgiten, forgeten) (= Old Saxonfargetan = Dutchvergeten = Middle Low Germanvorgeten = Old High Germanfirgezzan, Middle High Germanvergezzen, Germanvergessen = Old Danishforgœde, forgœtte = Swedishförgäta; cf. equivalent OFries. urjeta, forjeta = Old High Germanirgezzen, Middle High Germanergetzen), forget, from for-privative + gitan, getan, get: see for- and get.