Synonym Chooser

How is the word neglectful different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of neglectful are lax, negligent, remiss, and slack. While all these words mean "culpably careless or indicative of such carelessness," neglectful adds a more disapproving implication of laziness or deliberate inattention.

a society callously neglectful of the poor

When can lax be used instead of neglectful?

The meanings of lax and neglectful largely overlap; however, lax implies a blameworthy lack of strictness, severity, or precision.

a reporter lax about accurate quotation

When might negligent be a better fit than neglectful?

While the synonyms negligent and neglectful are close in meaning, negligent implies inattention to one's duty or business.

negligent about writing a note of thanks

Where would remiss be a reasonable alternative to neglectful?

The words remiss and neglectful can be used in similar contexts, but remiss implies blameworthy carelessness shown in slackness, forgetfulness, or neglect.

had been remiss in their familial duties

When is it sensible to use slack instead of neglectful?

The words slack and neglectful are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, slack implies want of due or necessary diligence or care.

slack workmanship

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of neglectful Hinchliffe Stadium originally opened in 1932 and hosted the Negro Leagues’ New York Black Yankees and the American Soccer League’s New Jersey Eagles in the late 1980s before shuttering in 1996 after many neglectful years without maintenance and upkeep. Jeff Rueter, New York Times, 10 July 2025 Raised by a neglectful alcoholic father in Buffalo, N.Y. Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 19 June 2025 Fiji’s capital, Suva, is bordered on one side by jagged mountains and on the other by a harbor speckled with the hulking wrecks of fishing vessels and cargo ships abandoned by bankrupt companies and neglectful owners. Pete McKenzie, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025 The main parenting styles Psychological researchers have identified four main parenting styles: neglectful, authoritarian, permissive and authoritative. Madeline Holcombe, CNN Money, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for neglectful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neglectful
Adjective
  • Sometimes insiders are simply careless; some are malicious.
    Maxwell Alles, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2025
  • He was taken to Bethesda Memorial Hospital for a cut on his head and later received a careless driving citation.
    Angie DiMichele, Sun Sentinel, 16 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • In water, adults enjoy Aurora’s partnership with SCUBA SHACK, Anguilla’s only PADI 5-Star Dive Resort, while kids find their heaven at the massive waterpark, complete with slides and a lazy river.
    Baz Dreisinger, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
  • Nearby, Splash Resort draws families and retirees alike with spacious, beachfront units and kid-friendly perks like an indoor water park, a lazy river, and a dive-in movie theater.
    Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Williams, 26, surrendered with a lawyer at the 44th Precinct stationhouse Thursday morning and was charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and reckless driving, police said.
    Rocco Parascandola, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Last week, a woman who was seriously injured in the collapse filed a similar lawsuit against the defendants, claiming the store and the property owner were negligent and that their failure to properly maintain the building led to her injuries.
    Alexa Stone, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • That was enough to buy him a space on a derelict dinghy, with some 70 others, hoping soon to see England’s white cliffs.
    Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Tens of millions of lives have been upended from derelict disaster response, power outages, inhumane commute times, and the housing shortage.
    Ryan Craig, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Neglectful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neglectful. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on neglectful

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