absent-minded
Americanadjective
adjective
Synonym Usage
Absent-minded, abstracted, oblivious all mean inattentive to immediate surroundings. Absent-minded suggests an unintentional wandering of the mind from the present: an absent-minded committee member. Abstracted implies that the mind has been drawn away from the immediate present by reflection upon some engrossing subject: an abstracted air. Oblivious implies absorption in some thought that causes one to be completely forgetful of or unaware of one's surroundings: oblivious of danger.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of absent-minded
First recorded in 1850–55
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Many women talk about having "pregnancy brain" or "baby brain", to describe feeling forgetful, absent-minded or having brain fog.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2024
THE FACTS: The European airport confirmed it does not have a desk for absent-minded holiday makers who set out for Sydney but wind up thousands of miles away in Salzburg.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 3, 2023
Musgrove and catcher Austin Nola were among five absent-minded Padres who mistakenly headed toward the dugout with two outs.
From Washington Times ● May 14, 2023
Gallerists and museum curators must strike a balance between making works accessible and protecting them from a well-meaning, but perhaps absent-minded, public.
From New York Times ● Feb. 18, 2023
She’s tiny, fragile, absent-minded; she wears glasses on a silver chain around her neck and takes painting classes.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
