Why Do We Forget New Words So Fast (And What to Do About It)

We’re constantly swiping, scrolling, liking, saving for later. In the middle of that digital chaos, we stumble upon new words in foreign languages. For one brief moment — aha! I’ve learned something new. …And then poof. Gone.

We look it up on Google Translate or DeepL, feel smart for three seconds, and never see that word again. And it’s not your fault. That’s just how our brains work — they need repetition, context and personal meaning to actually store a word for good. Without that, our memory just throws it out as “not important.”

So how do you stop losing words you’ve already discovered?

• Keep them in one place — not scattered across screenshots, notes, and random translator apps.
• See them again — at the right time, not six months later when it’s already too late.
• Learn words the way we actually use them: in real sentences, expressions and collocations, not just dry translations.

That’s exactly why we built Polimio

Polimio isn’t “yet another dictionary.” It’s a smart tool that remembers what you’ve looked up and builds your personal word history across 30+ languages. Each time you search, you don’t just get a translation. You get real examples, natural usage, and reminders that appear before your brain has a chance to forget.

Because learning a language shouldn’t feel like chasing words you’ve already seen once.