negligent
Not taking proper care of something you should look after.
negligent in a sentence
- The negligent zookeeper forgot to lock the gate, and the penguins waddled into town.
- The negligent gardener forgot to water the greenhouse, and all the tomatoes shrivelled.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to negligent?
- Acareless
- Balert
- Cwatchful
- Dcareful
Show the answer
A: careless. The other three mean the opposite of negligent.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to negligent?
- Asloppy
- Blazy
- Ccareless
- Dcareful
Show the answer
D: careful. The other three mean nearly the same as negligent.
Words that mean something similar
careless, sloppy, lazy
Words that mean the opposite
careful, watchful, alert
More words about behaviour & manners
- nonchalant: Looking calm and relaxed, as if you do not care at all.
- nuisance: Someone or something that annoys you or causes trouble.
- nurture: To care for something and help it grow.
- obedient: Doing what you are told without a fuss.
- oblige: To do something helpful that someone has asked you to do.
- obnoxious: Very rude and unpleasant in a way that annoys everyone.
- offend: To upset someone by being rude or unkind.
- oppose: To be against something and try to stop it.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test