I practically forgot

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I practically forgot" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express that you almost forgot something, indicating a close call or near miss in memory. Example: "I was so busy with work that I practically forgot my friend's birthday."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

I practically forgot the word "recession".

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

In fact, by the time a genius phoned to say my computer was ready to go home with a new hard drive, I had practically forgotten I owned a computer.

The New York Times

I had already lost all track of time and practically forgotten my dinner partners, so absorbed was I in the intensity of this man.

Huffington Post

I've totally forgotten his name and practically forgotten his face.

Vice

WITH only one American veteran of World War I still alive and a five-year lag until centennial commemorations, that most horrific of conflicts has been practically forgotten.

The New York Times

We've practically forgotten ourselves.

The New Yorker

When Haynes finished with her, the jury had practically forgotten that her own daughter had been murdered.

The New York Times - Magazine

The catastrophe — practically forgotten in today's money-drugged, supercilious art world — fostered a movement, in the nineties, of art that marshalled political grievance.

The New Yorker

And six years ago in Germany the calciopoli scandal was practically forgotten when Italy took the field to win its fourth World Cup.

The New York Times

The years since have been a series of almost unrelieved setbacks and disasters for the United States, while Osama himself was practically forgotten.

The New Yorker

Nasty and Bold finished third and was practically forgotten in a race that became infamous for a bumping incident between Laffit Pincay Jr., on Affirmed, and Jorge Velasquez, on Alydar.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I practically forgot" to express a near miss in remembering something, suggesting you almost completely forgot it.

Common error

While "I practically forgot" is acceptable, avoid overusing "practically" in formal writing. Consider more precise alternatives like "I nearly forgot" or "I almost forgot" to maintain clarity and conciseness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I practically forgot" functions as a statement expressing a near miss in remembering something. It combines a personal pronoun, an adverb of degree, and a verb of memory to convey the idea that the speaker came close to forgetting something entirely. Ludwig examples support this usage.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Wiki

18%

Science

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "I practically forgot" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to convey that one almost forgot something. Ludwig's AI confirms its usability in written English. While alternatives like "I almost forgot" and "I nearly forgot" exist, "I practically forgot" provides a slightly different nuance, emphasizing the extent to which the forgetting nearly occurred. It's particularly prevalent in news and media contexts and serves to highlight a close call in memory. While generally acceptable, avoid overuse in overly formal writing. Overall, the phrase is well-understood and widely applicable in various communicative scenarios.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I almost forgot

This alternative is a direct synonym, replacing "practically" with "almost" for a slightly simpler expression.

I nearly forgot

This alternative uses "nearly" instead of "practically", conveying a similar sense of almost forgetting.

I virtually forgot

Replaces "practically" with "virtually", emphasizing the idea that it was close to being completely forgotten.

I all but forgot

This alternative uses the idiom "all but", which means almost or nearly, providing a slightly more idiomatic expression.

It slipped my mind

This alternative shifts the focus to the forgetting itself, rather than the degree to which it was forgotten, using a common idiom.

I had almost forgotten

This alternative adds the auxiliary verb "had" to change the tense to past perfect, emphasizing that the forgetting occurred before a certain point in the past.

I clean forgot

This alternative replaces "practically" with "clean", suggesting a complete or thorough forgetting.

I came close to forgetting

This alternative uses a more descriptive phrase to convey the near miss in forgetting.

I was on the verge of forgetting

This alternative emphasizes the closeness of forgetting, using the idiom "on the verge of".

I momentarily forgot

This alternative focuses on the duration of the forgetting, suggesting it was brief.

FAQs

What does "I practically forgot" mean?

The phrase "I practically forgot" means that you almost forgot something. It suggests that you came very close to forgetting it entirely.

What can I say instead of "I practically forgot"?

You can use alternatives like "I almost forgot", "I nearly forgot", or "It slipped my mind" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "I practically forgot"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The adverb "practically" modifies the verb "forgot" to indicate the extent of forgetting.

Which is more common, "I practically forgot" or "I almost forgot"?

While both are common, "I almost forgot" may be slightly more frequent in general usage, but "I practically forgot" is also widely understood and used.