neglectful

American  

[ni-glekt-fuhl] / nɪˈglɛkt fəl /

adjective

1. characterized by neglect; disregardful; careless; negligent (often followed byof ).

   neglectful of one's health.

   Synonyms:

   thoughtless, heedless, inattentive, remiss

   Antonyms:

   thoughtful, careful

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neglectful British  

/ nɪˈɡlɛktfʊl /

adjective

1. not giving due care and attention (to); careless; heedless

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Usage

What does neglectful mean? Neglectful is used to describe people who have neglected someone or something, meaning they’ve failed to pay enough attention or have not done enough to provide proper care. Neglectful is often followed by the word of and the person or thing being neglected, as in I’m afraid I’ve been neglectful of my duties. Neglectful can also be used to describe such a person’s actions, as in Their parenting is neglectful at best. Describing someone as neglectful of objects or things usually means that they haven’t maintained such things properly. To be neglectful of your car is to fail to make sure it gets the maintenance it needs to keep running properly. To be neglectful of your health is to fail to do anything to maintain it. To be neglectful of your duties is to disregard them, often due to being preoccupied with other things. When it’s used in the context of people, neglectful implies a lack of attention and care. When you’re neglectful of a friend or romantic partner, it means you don’t spend enough time with them or you fail to consider or care about their emotional needs. When the word is used in relation to the care of children, it describes someone who has failed to properly care for them in a way that’s equivalent to mistreatment or abuse. The word negligent can be a synonym and is based on the same root. The adjective neglectful can be used to describe a person who neglects or their actions. The word neglected can also be used as an adjective, as in neglected children. Example: After years of neglectful treatment, these pets are being adopted into loving homes.

Other Word Forms

• neglectfully adverb
• neglectfulness noun
• overneglectful adjective
• overneglectfully adverb
• overneglectfulness noun
• preneglectful adjective
• self-neglectful adjective
• unneglectful adjective
• unneglectfully adverb

Etymology

Origin of neglectful

First recorded in 1615–25; neglect + -ful

Explanation

If you're neglectful, you're not as careful or attentive as you should be. A neglectful babysitter might lose track of where her charges are. A neglectful cat owner might forget to feed his pet, and a neglectful host might wander away from his party guests to check his email or read a magazine. In either case, the neglectful person is being thoughtless or inconsiderate. The verb neglect, "fail to properly care for," is at the root of neglectful, from the Latin neglegere, "to make light of, disregard, or not trouble oneself about," or literally "not to pick up."

Example Sentences

Mr. Sparks portrayed a man reaching out to his long-estranged brother in the wake of the death of their neglectful mother.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 26, 2025

The management company acted in an inappropriate and/or neglectful manner.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 18, 2025

It doesn’t matter whether DeJoy’s management is incompetent, neglectful, sinister or merely not up to the task.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2024

"Women are raised in a different way," DeGeneres says, before sharing a personal moment about growing up in a neglectful home, and having OCD and ADD.

From Salon • Sep. 24, 2024

They would label her neglectful and make her look like an unfit mother.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall