oblivious
oblivious Lexical Profile
oblivious Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not aware of or not concerned about what is happening around one; lacking conscious knowledge or attention.
"Absorbed in her novel, she remained completely oblivious to the noisy construction outside her window."
Failing to remember; lacking active recall or memory of something.
"In his advanced age, the retired scholar grew increasingly oblivious of his past academic rivalries."
Word Nuance & Usage
In modern usage, "oblivious" is followed by either "to" or "of" (e.g., "oblivious to the danger" or "oblivious of the rules"), though "to" has become significantly more common when the word means "unaware."
• Rhymes for oblivious
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 15th century from Latin obliviosus ("forgetful"), derived from oblivio ("forgetfulness"), from the verb oblivisci ("to forget"). Originally meaning "lacking remembrance," it gradually shifted in the late 19th century to mean "unaware or unmindful of one's surroundings."