Someone who is absent-minded forgets things or does not pay attention to what they are doing, often because they are thinking about something else.
In his later life he became even more absent-minded.
Synonyms: forgetful, absorbed, abstracted, vague More Synonyms of absent-minded
absent-mindedlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
Elizabeth absent-mindedly picked a thread from his lapel.
absent-mindednessuncountable noun [oft with poss]
You will have to put up with Grace's absent-mindedness.
Synonyms: forgetfulness, musing, preoccupation, abstraction More Synonyms of absent-minded
absent-minded in British English
adjective
preoccupied; forgetful; inattentive
Derived forms
absent-mindedly (ˌabsent-ˈmindedly)
adverb
absent-mindedness (ˌabsent-ˈmindedness)
noun
absent-minded in American English
(ˈæbsəntˈmaɪndɪd; ˈæbsəntˌmaɪndɪd) or absentminded (ˈæbsəntˈmaɪndɪd; ˈæbsəntˌmaɪndɪd)
adjective
1.
so dreamy or lost in thought as not to pay attention to what one is doing or what is going on around one
2.
habitually forgetful
SYNONYMY NOTE: absent-minded suggests an aimless wandering of the mind away from the immediate situation, oftenimplying a habitual tendency of this kind [the absent-minded professor]; abstracted suggests a withdrawal of the mind from the immediate present and a serious concernwith some other subject; , preoccupied implies that the attention cannot be readily turned to something new because of itsconcern with a present matter; , distrait suggests inability to concentrate, often emphasizing such a condition as a mood;, distraught implies a similar inability to concentrate, specifically because of worry, grief,etc.; , inattentive implies a failure to pay attention, emphasizing such behavior as a lack of discipline
Derived forms
absent-mindedly (ˈabsent-ˈmindedly)
adverb
absent-mindedness (ˈabsent-ˈmindedness)
noun
Examples of 'absent-minded' in a sentence
absent-minded
In absent-minded response, he pointed to a sign at the foot of the escalators.
St. James, Ian FINAL RESORT (2001)
`I know Sir Cedric was absent-minded - but could he really forget he had a wife?
Babson, Marian WEEKEND FOR MURDER (2001)
Malcolm is a genius, but he's the absent-minded professor type.
Davis, John Gordon SEIZE THE RECKLESS WIND (2001)
In other languages
absent-minded
British English: absent-minded /ˌæbsəntˈmaɪndɪd/ ADJECTIVE
An absent-minded person is very forgetful or does not pay attention to what they are doing.
In his later life he became even more absent-minded.