Phrase guide

mind like a sieve

noun · 1 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

very poor memory

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: simile

Examples

  • Oh, that's right. You said that yesterday, didn't you? I have a mind like a sieve.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: memory like a sieve, brain like a sieve, head like a sieve

Antonyms: mind like a steel trap

History

Etymology

Since a sieve has many holes, the thoughts in such a mind might be imagined to fall out.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: pää vuotaa kuin seula — poor memory
  • French: mémoire de poisson rouge — poor memory
  • German: ein Hirn wie ein Sieb haben — poor memory
  • German: ein Gedächtnis wie ein Sieb haben — poor memory
  • Italian: avere la memoria corta — poor memory
  • Latvian: caura galva — poor memory
  • Polish: dziurawa pamięć — poor memory
  • Russian: па́мять как решето́ (pámjatʹ kak rešetó) — poor memory
  • Russian: голова́ дыря́вая (golová dyrjávaja) — poor memory
  • Tagalog: may buslong butas — poor memory