(けんぼう)

けんぼう
noun
forgetfulness; amnesia
1. forgetfulness; amnesia; poor memory
A tendency to forget things easily, or a medical condition involving memory loss. Used both colloquially for everyday forgetfulness and clinically for amnesia.
最近(さいきん)健忘(けんぼう)がひどい。
My forgetfulness has been terrible lately.
健忘症(けんぼうしょう)症状(しょうじょう)()ている。
Symptoms of amnesia are appearing.
(とし)()ると健忘(けんぼう)(すす)むと()われるが、(のう)(きた)えれば予防(よぼう)できる。
It's said that forgetfulness worsens with age, but it can be prevented by exercising the brain.

USAGE:
Often appears in the compound 健忘症(けんぼうしょう) (amnesia, as a medical condition). In casual speech, people sometimes say 物忘(ものわす)れ instead for everyday forgetfulness.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 健忘症(けんぼうしょう) (amnesia)
  • 健忘(けんぼう)がひどい (terrible forgetfulness)
  • 老人性(ろうじんせい)健忘(けんぼう) (senile forgetfulness)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 物忘(ものわす)れ: forgetfulness — everyday term, less clinical
  • 記憶(きおく)喪失(そうしつ): memory loss — more formal medical term