Feledékeny

Feledékeny is a Hungarian adjective describing a person who tends to forget things or act without full attention. It covers both momentary lapses and more persistent patterns of inattention. In everyday language it is usually descriptive rather than a clinical label, and it is closely related to the noun feledékenység, meaning absent-mindedness.

Etymology: Feledékeny is formed from the noun feledés (forgetfulness) with the adjectival suffix -keny. The term thus conveys the characteristic of forgetfulness or a propensity to lose track of details.

Usage and nuance: Feledékeny characterizes behavior or temperament rather than a fixed trait. It can apply to people, characters in literature, or situations where attention wanders and memories fail. It is different from figyelmetlen (careless or inattentive in a broader sense), which emphasizes lack of attention rather than the specific tendency to forget. The word also appears in the related noun feledékenység.

Examples: A feledékeny diák gyakran elfelejti a határidőket. Sok ember mondja magáról: „Nagyon feledékeny vagyok.” A kifejezés használható semleges vagy enyhén humoros hangnemben is.

See also: feledékenység, figyelmetlenség, emlékezet.

Notes: Feledékeny is primarily a descriptive, non-clinical term and is commonly used to comment on everyday memory lapses rather than to diagnose cognitive impairment.