absent-minded

or ab·sent·mind·ed

[ ab-suhnt-mahyn-did ]

/ ˈæb səntˈmaɪn dɪd /

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.

Nearby words

absence, absence makes the heart grow fonder, absence seizure, absent, absent without leave, absent-minded, absente reo, absentee, absentee ballot, absentee landlord, absentee vote

Origin of absent-minded

First recorded in 1850–55

SYNONYMS FOR absent-minded

withdrawn, musing, daydreaming, dreamy, forgetful, distracted.

ANTONYMS FOR absent-minded

attentive, alert, heedful, observant.

Related forms

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

Synonym study

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for absentmindedly

"Margery wants to go," announced Happie, absentmindedly rearranging the doll's hair.
Six Girls and Bob|Marion Ames Taggart
M. Raindal followed her, absentmindedly playing with his gloves.
Two banks of the Seine|Fernand Vandrem
He comforted her, absentmindedly, and dressed in the dark, swearing at the clumsy leggings.
The Valor of Cappen Varra|Poul William Anderson
Then, begged for one lump, she absentmindedly dropped in three, while talking with Starr.
The Chauffeur and the Chaperon|C. N. Williamson

"Maybe—maybe they did it kind of absentmindedly," Pee-wee said.
Pee-wee Harris|Percy Keese Fitzhugh

British Dictionary definitions for absentmindedly

absent-minded

adjective

preoccupied; forgetful; inattentive

Derived Forms

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