oblivious

1 of 2

adjective

obliv·​i·​ous ə-ˈbli-vē-əs 

1

: lacking remembrance, memory, or mindful attention

He called out to them, but they were oblivious.

2

: lacking active conscious knowledge or awareness

—usually used with of or to

I was oblivious of the fact that I'd offended them.

She kept dancing, oblivious to everyone around her.

obliviously adverb

obliviousness noun

obliviousness

2 of 2

noun

ob·​liv·​i·​ous·​ness

: the quality or state of being oblivious

It's not the tourist's attire that irks her—it's his obliviousness to the surroundings.

—David Savold, Air & Space Smithsonian, June/July 1989

Did you know?

How to Use Oblivious in a Sentence: does it go with 'of' or 'to'?

Oblivious usually has to do with not being conscious or aware of someone or something. When used with this meaning, it can be followed by either to or of:

The cat had crept in silently, and we were oblivious to its presence in the room.

There was no chance that anyone could be oblivious of the dog, though; it greeted everyone in the room with frisky leaps.

Oblivious can also have to do with forgetfulness, and when it's used this way, it is often followed by of (but not to):

The child had brought in a snake she'd discovered in the garden, oblivious of the promise she'd made to leave all found creatures outside.

Whatever meaning of oblivious you choose to use, the noun that correlates with this adjective is obliviousness:

Our obliviousness to the cat's presence in the room was quickly corrected by the dog's discovery of the cat under the chair.

The noun oblivion is related to both, of course, but it is not the noun form of oblivious.

Synonyms of oblivious

Adjective

• unaware
• ignorant

Examples of oblivious in a Sentence

Adjective

They were pushing and shouting and oblivious to anyone not in their group. —P. J. O'Rourke, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 1996

Prentice looked up from his food, which he had been steadily shovelling in, completely oblivious of everyone. —Antonya Nelson, New Yorker, 9 Nov. 1992

Oblivious of any previous decisions not to stand together …  , the three stood in a tight group … —Doris Lessing, The Good Terrorist, 1985

Father was oblivious to the man's speculative notice of his wife. —E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, 1974

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

the out-of-state motorist claimed to be oblivious of the local speed limit, even though the signs must have been hard to miss

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Trump is absolutely oblivious at times to what would obviously serve his best interest. —Miami Herald, 8 June 2026

Cards and well-wishes poured in from around the world, as did calls from oblivious travelers. —Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

Some economic shocks travel slowly – a danger to which many governments seem oblivious. —John W.h. Denton Ao, Fortune, 6 June 2026

There is boredom, and annoyance with this passive, oblivious little girl. —Deborah Treisman, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Latin oblīviōsus, from oblīvi-, base of oblīviōn-, oblīviō "state of forgetting, dismissal from the memory" + -ōsus -ous — more at oblivion

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for oblivious

• lascivious

Kids Definition

oblivious

adjective

obliv·​i·​ous ə-ˈbliv-ē-əs 

ō-, 

ä-

: not being conscious or aware

oblivious to the danger

oblivious of the crowd

obliviously adverb

obliviousness noun