neglectful

N1E1G2L1E1C3T1F4U1L1

adjective

Tending to neglect; failing to take care of matters which require attention; forgetful.

UncommonScrabble 16

Meanings

adjectiveneglectful (comparative more neglectful, superlative most neglectful)

comparative more neglectful · superlative most neglectful · alternative obsolete neglectfull

  1. Tending to neglect; failing to take care of matters which require attention; forgetful.

    2005, Plato, Sophist. Translation by Lesley Brown. 243a-b, That they were too neglectful of ordinary people like us and overlooked us.

    2 more examples

    Neglectful of her fine voice, she was obviously attending more to her companions than to her own singing;...

    1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 38–39

    The Fates that are so careful to shut the doors of each successive life behind us had, in this case, been neglectful, and Charlie was looking, though that he did not know, where never man had been permitted to look with full knowledge since Time began.

    1891, Rudyard Kipling, The Finest Story in the World

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivenot showing due care or attention

adjectivefailing in what duty requires

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Translations

Bulgarian небрежен
  • небрежен (nebrežen)tending to neglect
Catalan negligent
  • negligenttending to neglect
Esperanto neglektema
  • neglektematending to neglect
Finnish piittaamaton, leväperäinen
  • piittaamatontending to neglect
  • leväperäinentending to neglect
  • löyhäkätinentending to neglect
French négligent
  • négligenttending to neglect
German nachlässig
  • nachlässigtending to neglect
Irish neamartach
  • neamartachtending to neglect
Italian negligente
  • negligentetending to neglect
Malay cuai, lalai
  • cuaitending to neglect
  • lalaitending to neglect
  • alpatending to neglect
  • lepatending to neglect
Norwegian Bokmål forsømmelig, skjødesløs
  • forsømmeligtending to neglect
  • skjødesløstending to neglect
Polish niedbały
  • niedbałytending to neglect
Portuguese negligente
  • negligentetending to neglect
Cite this entry
APA

neglectful. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neglectful

MLA

“neglectful.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neglectful. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “neglectful,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/neglectful.

Source: neglectful on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.