absent-minded

or ab·sent·mind·ed

[ ab-suhnt-mahyn-did ]

/ ˈæb səntˈmaɪn dɪd /

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See synonyms for: absent-minded / absent mindedness / absent-mindedness / absentmindedness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

so lost in thought that one does not realize what one is doing, what is happening, etc.; preoccupied to the extent of being unaware of one's immediate surroundings.

OTHER WORDS FOR absent-minded

withdrawn, musing, daydreaming, dreamy, forgetful, distracted.

See synonyms for absent-minded on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR absent-minded

attentive, alert, heedful, observant.

See antonyms for absent-minded on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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What does "dignity" mean?

showing self-respect

treating others with kindness

acting selfishly

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Origin of absent-minded

First recorded in 1850–55

synonym study for absent-minded

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 WORDS FROM absent-minded

ab·sent-mind·ed·ly, adverbab·sent-mind·ed·ness, noun

Words nearby absent-minded

absenteeism, absentee landlord, absentee vote, absente reo, absently, absent-minded, absent without leave, abs feb., Absidia, absinthe, absinthism

How to use absent-minded in a sentence

Absent a body, no one can say with absolute certainty whether Castro is dead, even if all signs point in that direction.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But, they added, that body scanners are absent at local airports, which they called “this large loophole.”
A Gift to the Jihadis: The Unseen Airport Security Threat|Clive Irving|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The world is changing, and men really could use a movement—just not the misogynistic, conspiracy-minded one they have now.
Men Need A Better Men’s Rights Movement|Nancy Kaffer|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But all fair-minded Americans should get behind this push for real equality and protections in the lives of all Americans.
State of LGBT Rights: Married on Sunday, but Fired on Monday|Gene Robinson|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

We can always use people who are community-minded [like him].
LAPD Foundation: Mark Wahlberg Would Make a Good Reserve Cop|Asawin Suebsaeng|December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They will reach you by the hands of Mr. Mackenzie, a worldly-minded Scotch merchant, but honest as to earthly things.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
In pneumonia chlorids are constantly very low, and in some cases are absent entirely.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
You may imagine the effect this missive produced upon the proud, high-minded doctor of divinity.
Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood
He was an outlaw, hunted and despised, depending for his life on the caprice of a fickle-minded woman.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
The infectious diseases in which leukocytosis is absent (p. 160) often cause a slight decrease of leukocytes.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for absent-minded

absent-minded

adjective

preoccupied; forgetful; inattentive

Derived forms of absent-minded

absent-mindedly, adverbabsent-mindedness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

absent-minded

or ab·sent·mind·ed

OTHER WORDS FOR absent-minded

OPPOSITES FOR absent-minded

Origin of absent-minded

synonym study for absent-minded

OTHER WORDS FROM absent-minded

Words nearby absent-minded

Words related to absent-minded

How to use absent-minded in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for absent-minded

Derived forms of absent-minded