absently
Americanadverb
adverb
Etymology
Origin of absently
Vocabulary lists containing absently
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.
“Life is full of conflagrations,” he remarks, somewhat absently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
“Oh,” he muttered absently as he paused before a tower of brass movie cans, “what do we have here?”
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 23, 2023
He wonders whether he should wear a tux just to study the music, “holding the score against his chest, stroking it absently, like a kitten.”
From Washington Post ● Apr. 20, 2023
It was 80 degrees, but Hadi only removed his beanie briefly, to absently rub a long, silvery scar that stretched across the top of his head.
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2022
I looked at Maribel next to me, staring absently out the window, the blanket balled on the seat between us.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
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.
