Dictionary

absent-minded en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˌæb.sn̩tˈmaɪn.dɪd/ (US)

Etymology

From absent mind + -ed, meaning “having an absent mind”.

Meanings

1. Absent in mind; often preoccupied; forgetful or careless due to distraction; easily distracted.
   • For nowadays, the whale-fishery furnishes an asylum for many romantic, melancholy, and absent-minded young men[…]. Very often do the captains of such ships take those absent-minded young philosophers to task[… 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Mast-Head”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 175:
   • It took the absent-minded man twenty minutes to find his glasses on top of his head.
   • His figure was bent in apologetic protest. "I ask a thousand pardons, sir," he said; "I am really so very absent-minded." 1900, Kenneth Grahame, The Golden Age, page 110:
   • Let the most absent-minded of men be plunged in his deepest reveries — stand that man on his legs, set his feet a-going, and he will infallibly lead you to water, if water there be in all that region. 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “Loomings”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 2:

Forms

Coordinates

unmindful · mindless

Deriveds

absent-mindedly · absent-mindedness · absent-minded professor

Translations (59)

mk расеан (absent in mind) · ja ぼんやり (absent in mind) · tl tagulimot (absent in mind) · ro absent (absent in mind) · nl er niet bij (absent in mind) · fr distrait (absent in mind) · mi hinengaro makere (absent in mind) · nl elders met zijn gedachten (absent in mind) · nb distré (absent in mind) · mi wareware (absent in mind) · mi pakihaha (absent in mind) · pl roztargniony (absent in mind) · pt avoado (absent in mind) · pl rozkojarzony (absent in mind) · gl distraído (absent in mind) · sh rasejan (absent in mind) · ro distrat (absent in mind) · sh расејан (absent in mind) · tr unutkan (absent in mind) · he מפוזר (absent in mind) · fi poissaoleva (absent in mind) · bg разсе́ян (absent in mind) · ru рассе́янный (absent in mind) · es despistado (absent in mind) · nl afwezig (absent in mind) · fi hajamielinen (absent in mind) · ca distret (absent in mind) · it svanito (absent in mind) · tr dalgın (absent in mind) · cmn 鬆散 /松散 (absent in mind) · hu szórakozott (absent in mind) · nn åndsfråverande (absent in mind) · pt distraído (absent in mind) · cs roztržitý (absent in mind) · yue 鬆散 /松散 (absent in mind) · ota طالغین (absent in mind) · es distraído (absent in mind) · ga dearmadach (absent in mind) · da distræt (absent in mind) · pt desatento (absent in mind) · de schusselig (absent in mind) · de geistesabwesend (absent in mind) · sv tankspridd (absent in mind) · ace tahe (absent in mind) · be рассе́яны (absent in mind) · de zerstreut (absent in mind) · nl verstrooid (absent in mind) · gl apirolado (absent in mind) · da åndsfraværende (absent in mind) · sv disträ (absent in mind) · wyi abenden ngargit (absent in mind) · ja 上の空の (absent in mind) · es desatento (absent in mind) · nn distré (absent in mind) · gl pampo (absent in mind) · nb åndsfraværende (absent in mind) · cmn 心不在焉 (absent in mind) · sh rasijan (absent in mind) · bg заве́ян (absent in mind)