as in preoccupied
inclined to forget what one has learned or to do what one should
we become more forgetful as we get older
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in ignorance
a state of being disregardful or unconscious of one's surroundings, concerns, or obligations
I welcomed the forgetfulness of one's worries that only sleep can bring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of forgetful
Llewellyn King, Boston Herald, 26 May 2025
New York topped the list of most forgetful cities, with Miami and Chicago following closely behind.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
New York City was the most forgetful city last year, according to Uber.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2025
Rather than trying to navigate life with messy and forgetful parent or being shuttled off to yet another activity as might happen in the other two types of families.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forgetful
Adjective
This was an old, forgetful man whose constant drinking added to his failing powers.
—Llewellyn King, Boston Herald, 26 May 2025
New York topped the list of most forgetful cities, with Miami and Chicago following closely behind.
—Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025
New York City was the most forgetful city last year, according to Uber.
—Kiki Intarasuwan, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2025
Rather than trying to navigate life with messy and forgetful parent or being shuttled off to yet another activity as might happen in the other two types of families.
—Kara Nesvig, Parents, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forgetful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forgetful
Adjective
-
Stoic leaders, such as Marcus Aurelius and the great Roman orator Cicero, were intensely preoccupied with justice and the language used to administer it.—
Anna Jankowska,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
-
The guy who typically signs off on public statements may be a little preoccupied.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
This lack of education feeds ignorance and, in turn, complacency – allowing the flawed logic of deterrence to remain unchallenged.—
Masako Toki,
The Conversation,
4 Aug. 2025
-
It should be called the Know Nothings, a historical homage to anti-immigration and willful ignorance.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
With no federal law protecting online information and just a patchwork of state privacy laws, many Americans are confused and concerned about how their online information is used, according to surveys by the Pew Research Center.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
-
The memo was welcome for taxpayers who were confused about limits resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made another tweak.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Police always investigate a drowning to rule out cases of abuse or extreme neglect, but an absent-minded parent accidentally forgetting to lock the pool gate or door to the backyard was unlikely to land them behind bars, Hoskin said.—
Perry Vandell,
AZCentral.com,
16 July 2025
-
For absent-minded individuals who are constantly losing their phone or wallet, the Apple AirTag will save the day.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Cardholders report that rewards are devalued, denied, disappeared, or fine-printed to oblivion, their actual redemption details dramatically different from their marketing materials.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
24 July 2025
-
Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony Crystal Cruises was bankrupt and facing oblivion when it was rescued by luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent, which bought the 602-passenger Crystal Symphony (and 740-passenger Crystal Serenity) and relaunched the brand.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
Note that the chart’s focus is exclusively on the trade in goods, oblivious to the global trade in services.—
Robert Goulder,
Forbes.com,
28 July 2025
-
She’s been in the news a lot for tone-deaf or oblivious comments.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
28 July 2025
Adjective
-
Olivia, bewildered and frightened, runs to the vast body of Tierra del Fuego to look for him.—
Jason Liwag,
Variety,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Whites, bewildered and self-righteous, would find their way to Reagan.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
8 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forgetful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forgetful. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share