absentminded

Examples

• All

• He was, hands down, the most absentminded economist in the history of the discipline.

  Academic text (1992)

• We're both absentminded.

  The Great Dictator (1940)

• You seemed absentminded, and I had to keep bringing you back to the original subject when we were talking.

  Fiction book (1992)

• Who else could have been so absentminded?

  Far from Heaven (2002)

• I noticed you can be a little absentminded.

  The Boss Baby: Family Business (2021)

• The absentminded professor, that kindly old figure, is long gone.

  Academic text (2007)

• Poor Signora was a bit absentminded, and she did get a lot of things wrong.

  Fiction book (1997)

• Hopefully, you will stop losing things, stop forgetting important dates, and generally stop being so absentminded.

  Blog text (7)

• Whenever one of these tedious events was scheduled, I fell into an absentminded reverie.

  Fiction book (2002)

• What had happened to this daughter of hers, the little girl who used to daydream and sometimes be so disobedient and absentminded?

  Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

O

oblivious

vsabsentminded

76 6.3

Not noticing what happens around you

shares unawareness but includes frequent forgetfulness and easy distraction

P

preoccupied

vsabsentminded

32 4.5

Thinking so much about something that you do not notice what is happening around you

is the same preoccupation but also often causes practical forgetfulness

F

forgetful

vsabsentminded

23 2.8

A person who often cannot remember things

includes memory lapses but also frequent daydreaming and inattention

A

absent

vsabsentminded

19 4.0

Not paying attention because your mind is somewhere else

is the everyday term emphasizing forgetfulness and easy distraction

U

unfocused

vsabsentminded

16 4.8

Not paying attention to one thing and having no clear goal

often wanders into thought and forgets things

L

lost in thought

vsabsentminded

7 4.2

Thinking so much that you do not notice what is around you

is similarly absent but also tends to forget routine tasks more often

I

inattentive

vsabsentminded

5 5.3

Does not notice what is happening or small details

shares lack of attention but stresses being lost in thought and forgetful

S

scatterbrained

vsabsentminded

• Offensive

3 7.3

A person who is not organized, easily distracted, and often forgets things

is similarly distracted but more often lost in thought than messy

U

unmindful

vsabsentminded

1 7.2

Not aware of what is happening around you

shows that inattentiveness plus frequent forgetting

S

spaced-out

vsabsentminded

• Informal

1 8.7

Not fully paying attention and feeling confused or dreamy

is mentally away without implying tired or drugged state

D

distractible

vsabsentminded

1 5.8

Likely to lose attention when other things happen

is similarly prone to loss of focus and to forgetting things

S

scatty

vsabsentminded

• UK

1 9.9

A person who does not pay attention, often forgets things and is disorganized

is the neutral term for being distracted and often forgetting things

U

unobservant

vsabsentminded

1 5.9

You do not notice small details around you

also misses surroundings but is especially prone to forgetting important items

U

unconcentrated

vsabsentminded

1 4.7

Your mind is not paying attention to what you are doing

is often mentally away because of inner thoughts

D

drifty

vsabsentminded

• Informal

1 7.8

Easily distracted and not paying full attention

matches drifting but also includes frequent forgetting and inattention to surroundings

L

lost

vsabsentminded

1 5.0

Absorbed in thought and not aware of your surroundings

matches that inward focus while also implying careless forgetfulness

A

addlepated

vsabsentminded

• Archaic

1 9.9

Confused and acting silly with a muddled, forgetful mind

is similar in confusion but is more about losing focus and forgetting

D

distracted

vsabsentminded

3.1

Not able to pay attention because your mind is on other things

has similar loss of focus but also forgets practical details

U

unattentive

vsabsentminded

6.5

Not paying attention to what is happening or being said

is the same lack of focus but often caused by internal thoughts

U

unheeding

vsabsentminded

7.9

Not paying attention to someone or something

is similar but emphasizes being mentally away and forgetting tasks

A

abstracted

vsabsentminded

7.1

Thinking deeply about something else and not noticing what is around you

is similar but also commonly forgets everyday things due to distraction

U

unwatchful

vsabsentminded

7.3

Not paying attention makes you miss danger or problems

is less about missed danger and more about forgetting and daydreaming

Antonyms

A

alert

82 2.8

Quick to notice and respond to what is happening

A

attentive

61 3.0

Paying close attention and caring about someone's needs

How Attentive

oblivious

76 6.3

preoccupied

32 4.5

absentminded

2 5.9

distracted

3.1

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology