1
as in preoccupied
lost in thought and unaware of one's surroundings or actions
the grieving woman was so absentminded that she left her key in the lock after opening the door
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forgetful
inclined to forget what one has learned or to do what one should
an absentminded aunt who some years sends me two birthday checks
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of absentminded
Ludwig Von Drake Ludwig Von Drake is the wise and eccentric professor who is known to be brilliant, but sometimes an absent-minded scientist and inventor.
—
Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 12 Mar. 2025
Your nails go through a lot: handwashing, polishing, maybe some absent-minded picking (guilty).
—Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 25 Feb. 2025
For Walton, Candide represents an innocent, sometimes absent-minded, young individual who doesn’t know anything about the world—or really that much about himself.
—Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
That rule is forgiving to absent-minded voters, but slows tallying because those ballots still need to go through signature checks and other processes.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 2 Dec. 2024
Colleagues described him as an absent-minded professor type.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024
The French might be sad if Emily leaves for Italy, but Americans in Paris are unlikely to shed any tears; many of them have had enough of the Chicago native’s absent-minded cultural blunders.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2024
Levey, who didn’t keep documentation of his side of the bartering, acknowledges that a less absent-minded customer would have demanded clearer accounting.
—Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
The seemingly absent-minded senior only occasionally uses his toy to talk to nurses, who are largely charmed by the mostly mute Dave and his silent doll.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Sep. 2024
Lauryn Higgins, Parents, 12 Mar. 2025
Your nails go through a lot: handwashing, polishing, maybe some absent-minded picking (guilty).
—Jessica Kasparian, SELF, 25 Feb. 2025
For Walton, Candide represents an innocent, sometimes absent-minded, young individual who doesn’t know anything about the world—or really that much about himself.
—Miguel Sirgado, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025
That rule is forgiving to absent-minded voters, but slows tallying because those ballots still need to go through signature checks and other processes.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 2 Dec. 2024
Colleagues described him as an absent-minded professor type.
—Katie Hafner, Scientific American, 31 Oct. 2024
The French might be sad if Emily leaves for Italy, but Americans in Paris are unlikely to shed any tears; many of them have had enough of the Chicago native’s absent-minded cultural blunders.
—Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2024
Levey, who didn’t keep documentation of his side of the bartering, acknowledges that a less absent-minded customer would have demanded clearer accounting.
—Tad Friend, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2024
The seemingly absent-minded senior only occasionally uses his toy to talk to nurses, who are largely charmed by the mostly mute Dave and his silent doll.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for absentminded
Adjective
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Remember that kids may be too preoccupied at times to sit down and eat.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
13 Mar. 2025
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Volkov’s version has a more serious tone and is more preoccupied with the right morals and behavior.—
Christin Bohnke,
JSTOR Daily,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Any panicked, forgetful partners can always make a quick stop at a local flower shop to pick up a boutique of traditional roses, including at Flowerama in Mundelein, where Valentine’s sales account for half of the shop’s yearly business.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Feb. 2025
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For the uninitiated or the forgetful, here’s what to consider.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The distracted driver hit two cars, both heading west, after reportedly going left of center, OSHP's Chardon Post Trooper William Head confirmed, per the outlet.—
Becca Longmire,
People.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Maria Espinosa was walking her son Misael Rico, then 6 years old, to school in January 2011 when a distracted driver jumped a curb and pinned the boy beneath the vehicle, the family said.—
Lillie Davidson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And while my four rides in Waymo's Jaguar i-Pace vehicles around Los Angeles last summer didn't feature any such fits of indecisiveness, the cars have had their own confused moments.—
Rob Pegoraro,
PC Magazine,
8 Apr. 2025
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As Chelsea, Wood widens her eyes and slants her eyebrows up when confused, bares her teeth and scrunches her whole face in terror, and barely contains her smile when smitten.—
Ashliene McMenamy,
Allure,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Absentminded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absentminded. Accessed 17 Apr. 2025.
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