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inobservant

adjective

Definition of inobservantnext
as in inattentive

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inobservant
  1. inattentive
  2. unfocused
  3. abstracted
  4. absent
  5. distracted
  6. lost
  7. oblivious
  8. preoccupied
Adjective
  • Watts was largely inattentive in those vulnerable moments, Anna says.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The system earned a perfect score for inattentive driving and high-risk driving.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of inattentive
Adjective
  • The Giants have played sloppy and unfocused baseball for most of the season.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • The studio removed the horror elements from the movie—in which Mulder and Scully are pulled out of retirement to consult on a case involving a missing agent—leaving it unfocused and unsatisfying.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of unfocused
Adjective
  • As materials pass through hubs like Singapore, their origins often become increasingly abstracted.
    — Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Affecting meaningful change — or suffering from the lack of it — has become so abstracted for the rich and powerful that everything feels like entertainment to them.
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025
Definition of abstracted
Adjective
  • Their carefully polished self-narrative was completely absent.
    — Jessica Schaefer, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Kelce himself was absent ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs’ Monday season opener.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of absent
Adjective
  • In the moment, however, Martins imbues tremendous intrigue through snippets of the seemingly distracted middle-aged driver, Wesley (Renato Novaes), and eventually, through the crash itself.
    — Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 13 Sep. 2026
  • Following instructions from the kidnappers (unbeknownst to his increasingly agitated comrades), Lee drives out to meet them for the exchange, only to wreck his car and become distracted saving a nearby woman, Hua (Moon Lee).
    — Jake Cole, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of distracted
Adjective
  • That Diamond song, a staple anthem at sporting events, is what vice-captain Mel Reid said — or tried to say with a lost voice — helped find Europe a way out of their low mood on Saturday evening.
    — Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Besides several days of lost revenue, the business now faces additional costs to beef up its security.
    — Charles Keeshan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of lost
Adjective
  • Her face crumples amid strained phone calls with A’s oblivious mother, while her eyes blaze like a four-alarm fire during a crushing panic attack brought on by a pushy date.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2026
  • And a surprising number of people, for good or bad, are totally oblivious to their own motivations.
    — Fortune Editors, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of oblivious
Adjective
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seems more preoccupied with posting juvenile memes about the Canadian military than with the conflict.
    — Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Many 9/11 first responders alive today feel as Sanchez does, more preoccupied with their survivor’s guilt than their own ailments.
    — Lila Dominus, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of preoccupied
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.

Browse Nearby Words

inobservance
inobservant
inoculate
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Cite this Entry

“Inobservant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inobservant. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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