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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forgetful
Marty is self-absorbed, forgetful, doesn’t much like people and spends hours online looking for advice about how to be a handyman.
—
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
In Plato’s Phaedrus, Socrates worries that books, unlike oral traditions, will make people more forgetful.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
Lucky for the forgetful reader who checked out the book, the library got rid of overdue fines in 2021, so they won’t be charged a dime.
—Saul Pink, San Antonio Express-News, 8 Feb. 2026
In those early scenes of Home Alone, O’Hara is not just an avatar for a forgetful, imperfect mother.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forgetful
Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 28 Mar. 2026
In Plato’s Phaedrus, Socrates worries that books, unlike oral traditions, will make people more forgetful.
—Tim Brinkhof, Big Think, 3 Mar. 2026
Lucky for the forgetful reader who checked out the book, the library got rid of overdue fines in 2021, so they won’t be charged a dime.
—Saul Pink, San Antonio Express-News, 8 Feb. 2026
In those early scenes of Home Alone, O’Hara is not just an avatar for a forgetful, imperfect mother.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forgetful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetful
Adjective
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The property, which sits on three and a half acres in Wilton, Connecticut, had been owned for more than five decades by the president of a regional hosta society who was mostly preoccupied with the landscaping.—
Wendy Goodman,
Curbed,
16 May 2026
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Sometimes someone’s sullen or preoccupied or way too wound up.—
Risa Polansky Shiman,
Sun Sentinel,
6 May 2026
Adjective
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During the initial investigation, authorities determined that the man appeared confused and was experiencing a mental health crisis.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
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Even current and former DeSantis communications staffers appeared confused online about it.—
Lawrence Mower,
Miami Herald,
29 May 2026
Adjective
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There’s something winningly absent-minded about Gosling’s performance here.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
20 Mar. 2026
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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
Adjective
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The Professor continued, oblivious to my queasy sense of déjà vu.—
Eric Ries,
Fortune,
26 May 2026
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Davis has either tuned out or somehow remained oblivious to any fan sentiment that diminishes the magnitude of his home run because of what unfolded after it.—
Zack Meisel,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Karl-Anthony Towns, who was on the podium with him, took off his glasses and looked at his teammate with a bewildered expression.—
Ryan Canfield,
FOXNews.com,
22 May 2026
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Everyone was so relieved to see how bewildered everyone else was that the feeling in this place was almost festive.—
James Wood,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forgetful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgetful. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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