forgetful

forgetful — adjective

1. tending to not keep things in memory the way most people do — for example, regul

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

tending to not keep things in memory the way most people do — for example, regularly losing items or forgetting plans you had agreed to

Example

Léa is so forgetful that she sets three alarms just to remember her appointments.

so + forgetful + that clause

My grandfather has grown more forgetful with age, but his childhood stories are still vivid.

predicative: grow / become + forgetful

Common collocations
  • forgetful + of + noun
  • become / grow / get forgetful
  • a forgetful person / student / parent
  • a forgetful moment
Synonyms
  • absent-minded

    emphasises being distracted by one's own thoughts rather than a general memory problem

  • scatterbrained

    informal; suggests being messy in thinking or organisation

Antonyms
  • attentive

    pays close attention rather than forgetting

  • mindful

    keeps something actively in awareness

Grammar Patterns

forgetful + of + noun

linking verb + forgetful

so + forgetful + that

Usage Note

Commonly used with 'become', 'grow', or 'get' to describe a change over time. The 'forgetful + of' pattern (e.g. 'forgetful of one's duties') is more formal and less frequent in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

I am forgetful to lock the door.
I am forgetful about locking the door.' or 'I often forget to lock the door.
'forgetful' is followed by 'about' + gerund, not the infinitive.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Forgetful' is the most general and neutral term, describing someone who fails to remember things. 'Absent-minded' specifically refers to being so lost in thought that you forget what is around you — a professor buried in research might be absent-minded about daily tasks, but not necessarily forgetful about important matters. 'Scatterbrained' is informal and suggests a disorganised mind that jumps between thoughts; it carries a playful or affectionate tone. Use 'forgetful' for neutral descriptions ('my forgetful uncle'), 'absent-minded' when deep thinking is the cause ('the absent-minded inventor'), and 'scatterbrained' only in casual contexts ('my scatterbrained roommate lost her keys again').

forgetful ↗absent-mindedscatterbrained

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • forgetful moment
  • forgetful nature
  • become forgetful
  • grow forgetful

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

From the Old English verb 'forġetan' (to lose memory of), formed by the prefix 'for-' (away, completely) plus 'ġetan' (to grasp). The '-ful' suffix was added later in Middle English to create the adjective meaning 'full of forgetting'.