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forgetful
/fərˈɡɛt.fəl/
often forgetting things
She’s so forgetful that she often leaves her keys at work.
She frequently forgets things, such as her keys at her workplace.
neutral
Tending to forget things; having a poor memory.
The forgetful student missed the deadline because he forgot to submit his assignment.
The student, who often forgets things, missed the deadline due to forgetting to submit his work.
Commonly describes a habitual tendency rather than a one-time lapse.
Collocations
forgetful ofnot remembering or considering somethinga forgetful minda mind that often forgets
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Avoid overusing 'forgetful'
Instead of saying 'He’s forgetful,' try 'He often forgets things' for more natural phrasing. 'Forgetful' can sound overly critical.
Gold Rule
Use 'forgetful' for habitual behavior
Reserve 'forgetful' for repeated instances of forgetting, not one-off mistakes. For example, 'She’s forgetful' implies a pattern, while 'She forgot her keys' describes a single event.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'forgetful', equivalent to 'forget' + '-ful'. The suffix '-ful' means 'full of' or 'having the quality of'.
Usage Notes
Used to describe people or their behavior, not objects or events. Often implies a lack of attention or care rather than a medical condition.
Word Breakdown
forget
to fail to remember
root-ful
full of; having the quality of
suffixEnglish Dictionary