as in preoccupied
inclined to forget what one has learned or to do what one should
we become more forgetful as we get older
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Recent Examples of forgetful
The company designed the ring not for the peace of mind of forgetful people like me but because, Oura says, one in 10 users have already bought a spare charger, perhaps so there’s always one your desk at work, for instance.
—
David Phelan, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Now 82 years old, Chase comes off as a surly, forgetful man.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
In addition to Gould, the movie also starred the voices of Albert Brooks as Nemo's father Marlin, Willem Dafoe as Gill and Ellen DeGeneres as the forgetful blue tang fish Dory.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
So, Marlin teams up with a forgetful new friend (Ellen DeGeneres) to bring his son home.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forgetful
David Phelan, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Now 82 years old, Chase comes off as a surly, forgetful man.
—Rick Kogan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
In addition to Gould, the movie also starred the voices of Albert Brooks as Nemo's father Marlin, Willem Dafoe as Gill and Ellen DeGeneres as the forgetful blue tang fish Dory.
—Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 30 Dec. 2025
So, Marlin teams up with a forgetful new friend (Ellen DeGeneres) to bring his son home.
—Chris Snellgrove, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forgetful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetful
Adjective
-
In downtown Fort Worth, former employees slipped in to hug and chat with past colleagues and bosses, creating little emotional snippets mostly unseen by busy, preoccupied shoppers.—
Matt Leclercq,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Psychoanalysts say that around the age of two or two and a half, children become preoccupied with the notion of siblings.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
With all those numbers flying around, Americans might be understandably confused about when, exactly, they are expected to retire.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
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Despite the convenience of the one-stop concept, the process is so convoluted that some left frustrated and confused.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The show offered her five more episodes—her rent for the year—and the absent-minded waitress became a recurring character named Ursula.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
16 Mar. 2026
-
The little boy went to school but was absent-minded, always hunched over books and filling the pages with endless drawings.—
Elena Banfi,
Vanity Fair,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And so the White House is not oblivious to this, of course.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
Such people are oblivious to how low America’s standing has fallen.—
Max Hastings,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This sometimes left audience members bewildered about what had actually happened.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The passenger in the back eventually looked up from her phone, noticed Louise, and locked eyes with this bewildered-looking woman blocking the crosswalk.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forgetful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgetful. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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