preoccupied
Americanadjective
-
completely engrossed in thought; absorbed.
- Synonyms:
- busy
-
previously occupied; taken; filled.
-
Biology. already used as a name for some species, genus, etc., and not available as a designation for any other.
adjective
-
engrossed or absorbed in something, esp one's own thoughts
-
already or previously occupied
-
biology (of a taxonomic name) already used to designate a genus, species, etc
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of preoccupied
Explanation
When you're preoccupied, you're completely focused on whatever it is that you're doing. It's good to be preoccupied when you're driving, as long as you're preoccupied with the road and not with your cell phone. Have you ever been so preoccupied with another person that you couldn't hear or see anyone else when you were in the same room as them? Well, it sounds like you were in love! You can be preoccupied with a person, a place, or even a hobby, like collecting baseball cards or seashells. Preoccupied can also mean that you are wrapped up in your own thoughts, which is good if you find yourself to be the most amusing person in the world.
Vocabulary lists containing preoccupied
"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury
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The Breadwinner
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I Am Malala
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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.
And as one social worker suggested to me, we’re so preoccupied with getting people in the front door, we barely notice when they slip out the back door.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
Investors have been preoccupied with Muse’s impressive adoptions stats.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
The shift reflects the priorities of younger voters, who see the economy and the worsening security situation with China as bigger concerns than the battles over bases that preoccupied their parents and grandparents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
In June, I became briefly preoccupied with the question of what kind of reader I intended to be that summer.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
Mrs. Torrance pulled him aside at one point, but she could tell that he was preoccupied.
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
