oblivious

obliv·i·ous

adj \ə-ˈbli-vē-əs\

Definition of OBLIVIOUS

1

: lacking remembrance, memory, or mindful attention

2

: lacking active conscious knowledge or awareness —usually used with of or to

— obliv·i·ous·ly adverb

— obliv·i·ous·ness noun

Examples of OBLIVIOUS

1. <the out-of-state motorist claimed to be oblivious of the local speed limit, even though the signs must have been hard to miss>
2. They were pushing and shouting and oblivious to anyone not in their group. —P. J. O'Rourke, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 1996
3. Prentice looked up from his food, which he had been steadily shovelling in, completely oblivious of everyone. —Antonya Nelson, New Yorker, 9 Nov. 1992
4. Oblivious of any previous decisions not to stand together … , the three stood in a tight group … —Doris Lessing, The Good Terrorist, 1985
5. Father was oblivious to the man's speculative notice of his wife. —E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, 1974
6. She rested now, frankly and fairly, in the shelter of his arms, and both were oblivious to the gale that rushed past them in quicker and stronger blasts. —Jack London, Burning Daylight, 1910

Origin of OBLIVIOUS

(see oblivion)

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to OBLIVIOUS

Synonyms: clueless, incognizant, innocent, insensible, nescient, ignorant, unacquainted, unaware, unconscious, uninformed, unknowing, unmindful, unwitting

Antonyms: acquainted, aware, cognizant, conscious, conversant, grounded, informed, knowing, mindful, witting

Related Words: uneducated, unschooled, untaught; absent, absentminded, abstracted, heedless, inattentive, inconscient

Near Antonyms: au courant, hip, plugged-in, up-to-date; educated, knowledgeable, schooled, taught; heedful, observant; sensitive, sentient

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Rhymes with OBLIVIOUS

lascivious