absent-minded

American  

[ab-suhnt-mahyn-did] / ˈæb səntˈmaɪn dɪd /

Or absentminded

adjective

1. 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.

   Synonyms:

   distracted, forgetful, dreamy, musing, withdrawn

   Antonyms:

   observant, heedful, alert, attentive

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absent-minded British  

adjective

1. preoccupied; forgetful; inattentive

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Related Words

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

• absent-mindedly adverb
• absent-mindedness noun

Etymology

Origin of absent-minded

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

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

Card and absent-minded shopper are now happily reunited.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 16, 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

I apologize and say that I'm an absent-minded English teacher who left his glasses at home.

From Salon • Aug. 27, 2022

First of all, he was a famously absent-minded scientist, living in an abstract world of ideas and numbers.

From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin