adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/fərˈɡɛtfəl/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:F AO0 R G EH1 T F AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
CMU ARPABET 2:F ER0 G EH1 T F AH0 L
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Unable to remember things well; liable to forget.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Dropping some of the input's structure or properties before producing an output.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: mathematics, sciences
Examples
a forgetful mapping; a forgetful functor
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adjective
Meaning 3
not mindful or attentive- G.B.Shaw
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
while thus unmindful of his steps he stumbled
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unmindful, mindless
Antonyms: none provided
4
adjective
Meaning 4
(of memory) deficient in retentiveness or range
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a short memory
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: unretentive, short
Antonyms: none provided
5
adjective satellite
Meaning 5
failing to keep in mind
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
forgetful of her responsibilities
oblivious old age
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: oblivious
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English *forgetful, *forȝetful (suggested by derivative forgetfulnesse, forȝetfulnesse (“forgetfulness”)), equivalent to forget + -ful.
Across languages
Translations
58 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
نَسَّاء
(nassāʔ)
— liable to forget
Arabic:
نَسِيّ
(nasiyy)
— liable to forget
Bulgarian:
забравящ
(zabravjašt)
— liable to forget
Bulgarian:
разсеян
(razsejan)
— liable to forget
Catalan:
oblidadís
— liable to forget
Catalan:
oblidós
— liable to forget
Cebuano:
bungaw
— liable to forget
Chinese Mandarin:
健忘
(jiànwàng)
— liable to forget
Chinese Mandarin:
丟三落四 /丢三落四
(diūsānlàsì)
— liable to forget
Czech:
zapomnětlivý
— liable to forget
Danish:
glemsom
— liable to forget
Dutch:
vergeetachtig
— liable to forget
Finnish:
huonomuistinen
— liable to forget
French:
oublieux
— liable to forget
Galician:
esquecedizo
— liable to forget
Galician:
desmemoriado
— liable to forget
Galician:
deslembrado
— liable to forget
Georgian:
გულმავიწყი
(gulmavic̣q̇i)
— liable to forget
German:
vergesslich
— liable to forget
Ancient Greek:
λήθᾱργος
(lḗthārgos)
— liable to forget
Ancient Greek:
ἐπιλήσμων
(epilḗsmōn)
— liable to forget
Hindi:
भुलक्कड
(bhulakkaḍ)
— liable to forget
Hungarian:
feledékeny
— liable to forget
Indonesian:
pelupa
— liable to forget
Indonesian:
pikun
— liable to forget
Irish:
dearmadach
— liable to forget
Italian:
smemorato
— liable to forget
Japanese:
忘れっぽい
(wasureppoi)
— liable to forget
Kazakh:
ұмытқан
(ūmytqan)
— liable to forget
Latin:
oblīviōsus
— liable to forget
Latin:
immemor
— liable to forget
Latvian:
aizmāršīgs
— liable to forget
Latvian:
aizmirsīgs
— liable to forget
Māori:
wareware
— liable to forget
Māori:
māhungawai
— liable to forget
Norman:
oublieux
— liable to forget
Norwegian:
glemsom
— liable to forget
Norwegian Nynorsk:
gløymsk
— liable to forget
Norwegian Nynorsk:
gløymsam
— liable to forget
Occitan:
oblidós
— liable to forget
Pannonian Rusyn:
забудлїви
(zabudljivi)
— liable to forget
Polish:
zapominalski
— liable to forget
Portuguese:
esquecido
— liable to forget
Portuguese:
esquecidiço
— liable to forget
Portuguese:
esquecediço
— liable to forget
Romanian:
uituc
— liable to forget
Romansh:
emblidus
— liable to forget
Russian:
забы́вчивый
(zabývčivyj)
— liable to forget
Spanish:
olvidadizo
— liable to forget
Spanish:
desmemoriado
— liable to forget
Spanish:
olvidadero (disused)
— liable to forget
Swedish:
glömsk
— liable to forget
Turkish:
unutkan
— liable to forget
Ottoman Turkish:
اونوتغان
(unutgan)
— liable to forget
Ukrainian:
забу́дькуватий
(zabúdʹkuvatyj)
— liable to forget