32 Other Ways to Say “Never Mind”

The phrase “Never mind” is commonly used as a polite or dismissive way to tell someone that an issue is not significant or to retract a statement. It can be used in a variety of contexts—from casual to formal situations. Here’s a list of 32 alternative ways to say “Never mind,” each with an example sentence and an explanation.

Casual Dismissals

1. Forget about it.

Example: Oh, you can’t find the document? Forget about it, I’ll look for it later.
Explanation: A laid-back way to dismiss the importance of something.

2. It’s nothing.

Example: You seem worried about what I just said, but really, it’s nothing.
Explanation: This minimizes the preceding statement or situation.

3. Don’t worry about it.

Example: You spilled a bit of coffee? Don’t worry about it, it’s an easy clean-up.
Explanation: This reassures the listener that the situation is not a concern.

4. It’s not important.

Example: You seem flustered because you’re late—don’t be, it’s not important.
Explanation: Points out that the issue at hand should not be a priority.

Shrugging It Off

5. Let’s move on.

Example: This discussion isn’t leading anywhere productive; let’s move on.
Explanation: An invitation to shift focus to a new subject or activity.

6. No big deal.

Example: You forgot to call me back yesterday? No big deal, we can talk now.
Explanation: A colloquial way to indicate that something is not worth fussing over.

7. It doesn’t matter.

Example: Actually, it doesn’t matter if we take this road or the other—they both go downtown.
Explanation: States that the subject under consideration is of no consequence.

8. Skip it.

Example: If that slide isn’t loading properly, just skip it and continue the presentation.
Explanation: Instructs someone to bypass something and proceed.

Reassuring the Other Person

9. Think nothing of it.

Example: You’re apologizing for being blunt? Please, think nothing of it; I value honesty.
Explanation: Encourages someone not to dwell on or worry about a particular action or comment.

10. It’s all good.

Example: You accidentally deleted the file? It’s all good, there’s a backup.
Explanation: An informal way to communicate that everything is okay regardless of the situation.

11. No harm done.

Example: You bumped into me, but no harm done—I’m perfectly fine.
Explanation: Indicates that no damage or offense was caused.

12. On second thought, let’s leave it.

Example: I was about to ask for your help, but on second thought, let’s leave it for now.
Explanation: A polite way to retract a request or decline to take action on something.

Brushing It Aside

13. Overlook it.

Example: If I come off as terse, please overlook it—I’ve just had a long day.
Explanation: A request to disregard a faux pas or offense.

14. Let it go.

Example: I know my comment earlier wasn’t fair—can we just let it go?
Explanation: A plea to release resentment or to stop fixating on a specific issue.

15. Water under the bridge.

Example: You were late to the meeting last week, but it’s water under the bridge now.
Explanation: A metaphor suggesting that the event is in the past and therefore no longer worth worrying about.

16. Put it out of your mind.

Example: That misunderstanding we had? You should put it out of your mind—it’s resolved.
Explanation: Advises someone to stop thinking about something.

Informal Reversals

17. Scratch that.

Example: I thought we needed more time for the project, but scratch that—we’re right on schedule.
Explanation: A way to retract a statement or instruction.

18. Drop the subject.

Example: I can tell this topic is making you uncomfortable. Let’s drop the subject.
Explanation: Recommends ending a conversation thread.

19. I take it back.

Example: I said you were being unreasonable, but I take it back—you had a valid point.
Explanation: This retracts a previous statement or opinion.

20. I shouldn’t have said that.

Example: I didn’t mean to make a joke about your singing; I shouldn’t have said that.
Explanation: An admission that the preceding remark was out of place or inappropriate.

Downplaying Significance

21. Let’s disregard that.

Example: I made a comment about the budget, but let’s disregard that. We need to focus on the current issue.
Explanation: Suggests that what was mentioned is not relevant and should not be considered.

22. It’s nothing to worry about.

Example: You’re wondering why I sighed? It’s nothing to worry about, just pondering my to-do list.
Explanation: Assures the listener that the mentioned item is not a concern.

23. Don’t give it another thought.

Example: You feel bad for arriving late, but really, don’t give it another thought.
Explanation: Encourages the listener to stop dwelling on a past action or incident.

24. Cast it aside.

Example: There was some initial confusion about your role in the project—cast it aside, we’re clear now.
Explanation: A metaphorical way of saying to discard or dismiss a thought or idea.

Minimizing Importance

25. Let’s not dwell on it.

Example: That was a minor mistake in the report. Let’s not dwell on it and instead look at the overall quality.
Explanation: Motivates someone to stop overthinking about a trivial matter and focus on the bigger picture.

26. Consider it forgotten.

Example: You’re still thinking about the mix-up? Consider it forgotten; it’s not affecting my opinion of you.
Explanation: Expresses that the issue has been disposed of and is no longer of any significance.

27. It’s irrelevant now.

Example: We had concerns before, but given this news, it’s irrelevant now.
Explanation: States that a previous concern or issue no longer holds any weight.

28. Don’t fuss over it.

Example: You’re stressing over the details, but honestly, don’t fuss over it; the overall concept is what counts.
Explanation: Advises someone not to worry excessively about something.

Disengaging from the Topic

29. We can gloss over that.

Example: This section of the manual isn’t essential, so we can gloss over that for the time being.
Explanation: Indicates that a particular detail can be treated without much emphasis or ignored altogether.

30. We can let that slide.

Example: Normally I require a report on this, but considering the circumstances, we can let that slide.
Explanation: Allows an exception or breezes past a requirement in a particular instance.

31. Dismiss that thought.

Example: You’re apologizing for sounding too eager? Dismiss that thought, your enthusiasm is welcome!
Explanation: Tells someone to get rid of a particular thought or worry.

32. We don’t need to linger on that.

Example: We’re getting sidetracked with technicalities; we don’t need to linger on that.
Explanation: Suggests moving on and not spending excessive time on an insignificant matter.

Using any of these phrases allows you to deflect attention away from something trivial or irrelevant. Depending on the context and the relationship with the person you’re speaking to, you can maintain politeness and tact while indicating that it’s best to move on or forget about an issue.