should have forgotten

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "should have forgotten" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to express a regret or realization that one failed to forget something that they believe they should have. Example: "I should have forgotten about that embarrassing moment by now, but it still haunts me."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

How strange that she should have forgotten it!

The New York Times - Style

You should have forgotten about the flapjacks at this point, but don't worry, you've more important things to be concerned with.

The Guardian

It made the Magnetic Fields a band for all seasons, and it abides in me like the lost lover from arguably the most moving song I've ever heard, Busby Berkeley Dreams: "I should have forgotten you long ago, but you're in every song I know …" You can write your own review of this record on our brand new album pages: once you're signed into the Guardian website, visit the album's dedicated page.

The Guardian - Music

"Her work is amazing, because when you think about it she spends her average day trying to monetize Tan Mom someone who by all accounts, we should have forgotten about two years ago, and yet here we are talking about her.

Vice

"Her work is amazing, because when you think about it she spends her average day trying to monetise Tan Mom – someone who by all accounts, we should have forgotten about two years ago, and yet here we are talking about her.

Vice

I suppose it's understandable that we should have forgotten how it works, given all of the posturing in the guise of negotiation that we've been subjected to over the past few years (recall all the hot air and ultimatums exchanged over health care?).

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

And then I learned something important that I should never have forgotten - and the joke turned on me.

The Guardian

A brazen head, should you have forgotten your medieval history, is a brass head that was supposedly able to answer any question.

The New Yorker

We should never have forgotten what Sir Peter Ustinov is credited as saying: Terrorism is the poor man's war, and war is terrorism of the rich.

The New York Times

Van Gundy, for his part, should already have forgotten what worked against Toronto, whose frontcourt players were as rooted to the floor as New York's.

The New York Times - Sports

Moreover, central banks, of all institutions, should not have forgotten their own history: the Bank of England spent much of the past three centuries fighting financial crises while the Fed was set up to counter them.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase, consider the emotional tone you want to convey. It can range from mild regret to strong disappointment.

Common error

Avoid using "should have forgotten" when you mean to say something about the present. "Should have forgotten" refers to a past action or state. If you are referring to the present, use "should forget" or "should be forgetting."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "should have forgotten" functions as a modal perfect construction expressing regret or unrealized past possibility. It indicates that something was expected or desired to be forgotten in the past, but it was not.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

16%

Science

16%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "should have forgotten" is a grammatically sound phrase that expresses regret or a missed chance to forget something in the past. As Ludwig AI suggests, this phrase correctly conveys that a certain fact, event, or feeling ideally should have faded from memory, but it hasn't. It is most frequently found in "News & Media" and "Wiki" contexts. While grammatically straightforward, it's vital to use it accurately to reflect past unrealized possibilities, distinguishing it from present tense usages.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ought to have forgotten

Replaces "should" with "ought to", maintaining the same meaning of obligation or expectation.

wish I had forgotten

Expresses a desire to have forgotten something, highlighting regret.

needed to have forgotten

Emphasizes the necessity of forgetting something in the past.

it would have been better to forget

Focuses on the hypothetical benefit of having forgotten something.

should have let go of

Focuses on the act of releasing or discarding a memory or thought.

it was imperative to forget

Expresses the critical importance of forgetting something.

should have erased from memory

Highlights the act of actively removing something from one's memory.

should have buried the memory of

Suggests suppressing or concealing a memory to forget it.

should have put behind me

Conveys the idea of moving on from a past event or thought.

should have dismissed from mind

Implies a conscious effort to reject or disregard a thought or memory.

FAQs

How to use "should have forgotten" in a sentence?

Use "should have forgotten" to express regret that something wasn't forgotten in the past. For instance, "I should have forgotten about that argument by now."

What can I say instead of "should have forgotten"?

You can use alternatives like "ought to have forgotten", "should have let go of", or "wish I had forgotten" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "should have forgotten" and "should forget"?

"Should have forgotten" refers to something in the past that you regret not forgetting, while "should forget" refers to something in the present or future that you believe you need to forget.

When is it appropriate to use "should have forgotten"?

It's appropriate when expressing regret or a sense of missed opportunity that something was not forgotten. For example, if you are still thinking about an ex, you might say, "I should have forgotten about them a long time ago".