sievish

English

Etymology

Formed as sieve +‎ -ish. Compare memory like a sieve.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈsɪvɪʃ/

Adjective

sievish (comparative more sievish, superlative most sievish)

1. (figuratively, of memory, rare) Like a sieve: unretentive.
   • 1982, Ferenc Máté, Best Boats: To Build or Buy, Albatross Publishing House, →ISBN, page 242, →ISBN:

     Perhaps I have a frighteningly sievish memory, but I’ll be damned if I can flip a folded chart back and forth and remember exactly what was on the other side.