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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary neg·li·gent ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin neglegent-, neglegens, present participle of neglegere DATE 14th century 1. a. marked by or given to neglect especially habitually or culpably b. failing to exercise the care expected of a reasonably prudent person in like circumstances 2. marked by a carelessly easy manner • neg·li·gent·ly adverb Synonyms. negligent , neglectful , lax , slack , remiss mean culpably careless or indicative of such carelessness. negligent implies inattention to one's duty or business negligent about writing a note of thanks neglectful adds a more disapproving implication of laziness or deliberate inattention a society callously neglectful of the poor lax implies a blameworthy lack of strictness, severity, or precision a reporter lax about accurate quotation slack implies want of due or necessary diligence or care slack workmanship and slipshod construction remiss implies blameworthy carelessness shown in slackness, forgetfulness, or neglect had been remiss in their familial duties English Etymology negligent late 14c.; see negligence. Related: Negligently. Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 negligent neg·li·gent / 5ne^lidVEnt / adjective1. (formal or law 律) failing to give sb / sth enough care or attention, especially when this has serious results 疏忽的；造成过失的: The school had been negligent in not informing the child's parents about the incident. 校方疏忽了,没有向这孩子的父母通报这件事。 grossly negligent 严重失职 2. (literary) (of a person or their manner 人及其举止) relaxed; not formal or awkward 放松的；随便的；不拘谨的 SYN nonchalant :
He waved his hand in a negligent gesture. 他漫不经心地挥了挥手。 • neg·li·gent·ly adv.: The defendant drove negligently and hit a lamp post. 被告不小心驾驶,撞到一根路灯柱上了。 She was leaning negligently against the wall. 她很随便地斜倚着墙。 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English negligent adj. VERBS be, seem ADV. extremely, grossly, seriously, very | wholly | criminally PREP. in The hospital was negligent in the way it looked after this young man. | over The court found him to be negligent over the loss of £18 million by the local authority. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Edition adj. Function: adjective failing to give proper attention or care FF1C; negligent in taking care of the childrenFF1E; FF1C;a negligentman, prone to forgetfulnessFF1E; Synonyms: behindhand, careless, delinquent, derelict, discinct, disregardful, lax, neglectful, regardless, remiss, slack Related Words: heedless, inadvertent, inattentive, inconsiderate, thoughtless, unheedful, unthinking; incurious, indifferent, unconcerned; slipshod, slovenly Contrasted Words: rigid, rigorous, strict; attentive, considerate, heedful, thoughtful; careful, exact, fussy, meticulous, punctilious, punctual, scrupulous Antonyms: attentive Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged neg·li·gent I. \-nt\ adjective Etymology: Middle English negligent, necgligent, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French negligent, from Latin neglegent-, neglegens, present participle of neglegere to neglect — more at neglect 1. : that is marked by or given to neglect : that is neglectful especially habitually or culpably < was a careless workman, negligent of detail — Edith Hamilton > < negligent in his correspondence > specifically : not exercising the care usually exercised by a prudent person < negligent about traffic regulations > 2. : that is marked by or given to a carelessly easy manner in such a way as to produce a usually agreeable effect < negligent speech > < negligent action > : marked by a nonchalant indifference : free from stiffness or restraint : not labored or artificial : unstudied , offhand < converse with negligent ease upon indifferent topics — Arnold Bennett > < wore clothes with a negligent grace > Synonyms: neglectful , lax , slack , remiss : negligent suggests culpable inattentiveness resulting in imperfection, incompleteness, slovenliness, or danger or damage to others < so negligent in his poetical style … so slovenly, slipshod, and infelicitous — Matthew Arnold > < would come from the kitchen and pass slowly about the table, vaguely negligent unless she was directed by … brief orders — Elizabeth M. Roberts > < negligent about not maintaining a steady watch on the fire > neglectful may be more censorious in centering attention without palliation on the fact of neglect < was not neglectful and would write as soon as he found anything good — Upton Sinclair > < peoples who when they dress themselves are utterly neglectful of what we consider the first requirements of decency — Edward Westermarck > lax implies a want of strictness, stringency, precision, severity, or careful attention, usually a blameworthy want < scandalously lax in restraining drunkards from annoying the sober — G.M.Trevelyan > < their rather lax mental processes allow sweeping generalizations about the riddle of the universe and the mystery that is man — W.L.Sperry > slack suggests want of necessary due care, diligence, attention, or application < if they were slack in performing these arduous duties — G.M.Trevelyan > < one of the oars slipped from her slack grasp and floated beside the drifting skiff — B.A.Williams > remiss strongly implies the fact of blameworthiness or culpability without implication about the degree < so remiss did they become in their attentions that we could no longer rely upon their bringing us the daily supply of food — Herman Melville > < shamefully remiss about paying them — H.E.Scudder > II. noun (-s) archaic : a negligent person |
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