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 Disorganized behavior: Mary/Jone refuses to eat with her/his family or have a bath, which may reflect disorganized or neglectful behavior. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025 Below, a few of my favorite books about bad mothering, from the benignly neglectful to the downright evil. Sarah Harman, People.com, 11 May 2025 Speaking of the Senate: That chamber on Monday fully passed Senate Bill 20, which seeks to crack down on chronically neglectful landlords by allowing government authorities to temporarily take control of run-down apartment buildings. Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 1 May 2025 My parents were off to a party, my younger brother was in bed, and my older sister had a neglectful attitude toward babysitting me. ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for neglectful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for neglectful
Adjective
  • The driver was cited for careless driving causing bodily injury, which is a misdemeanor traffic offense, according to state law.
    Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 4 June 2025
  • Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 79, the alleged operator of the boat that struck the teen, has been charged with two misdemeanors for careless operation of a vessel, according to the FWC.
    Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Giant tanks of lazy swimmers sit sandwiched between fields of cows and ponds of striped bass, carefully tended by three generations of the Evans family.
    Kylie Williams, Miami Herald, 29 June 2025
  • The water park has something for everyone—from high-speed slides and a wave pool to a relaxing lazy river and kid-only water slides.
    Lydia Mansel, Southern Living, 29 June 2025
Adjective
  • Imagine the lawsuit: negligent security, wrongful death attempt, maybe even a defamation angle against Tom Buchanan.
    Aron Solomon June 24, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
  • The deckhand as well as the ship's skipper and chief engineer are all reportedly under investigation for possible multiple manslaughter and negligent shipwreck charges, but have not yet been formally accused of any crime.
    David Chiu, People.com, 22 June 2025
Adjective
  • Two local guys had the idea of turning the derelict elevated railroad tracks into a garden walkway—the High Line.
    Ian Frazier, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
  • In a city that hit its 175th birthday in February, there are many derelict or underutilized buildings, particularly on the grid.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 8 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Neglectful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/neglectful. Accessed 4 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on neglectful

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