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
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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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The United States had withdrawn from the World Health Organization and the U.N. Human Rights Council; the State Department seemed more preoccupied with deportations than with diplomacy.—
E. Tammy Kim,
New Yorker,
22 Apr. 2025
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Early in this episode, Dina mentions to a preoccupied Joel that one of the community’s underground pipes — connected to the outside — has been rendered useless by encroaching roots.—
Noel Murray,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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New York City was the most forgetful city last year, according to Uber.—
Kiki Intarasuwan,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2025
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New York topped the list of most forgetful cities, with Miami and Chicago following closely behind.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
9 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The law, which Governor Josh Shapiro signed last year, aims to reduce distracted driving incidents throughout the state.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 June 2025
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After Klinghoffer entered his plea, a prosecutor read a statement that warned against distracted driving.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
People.com,
29 May 2025
Adjective
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The Justice Department similarly told the Supreme Court that some lower courts are confused about how to evaluate multiple IQ tests under Supreme Court rules for what counts as cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.—
Maureen Groppe,
USA Today,
7 June 2025
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It’s become the subject of much conversation at Variety, and Erickson is similarly confused.—
Michael Schneider,
Variety,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Absentminded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/absentminded. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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