absently
/ˈabs(ə)ntli
/adverb
In an absent-minded way; vaguely: Keira toyed absently with her fork...
- Gareth was holding my hands, absently brushing his thumbs back and forth like he always does.
- I stare absently at the pattern of the fabric on the seats, an angular blur of red, grey and blue.
- She was absently chewing her bottom lip and her eyes stared blankly into space.
Synonyms
distractedly, inattentively, abstractedly, unheedingly, carelessly, absent-mindedly, on automatic pilot;
dreamily, with one's head in the clouds, in a world of one's own, lost in thought;
blankly, vacuously