How to Use inattentive in a Sentence

inattentive

adjective
  • Only a very inattentive friend could confuse this set with sweats.
    — Katharine K. Zarrella, WSJ, 24 Apr. 2021
  • This is not to say Costco shoppers are inattentive.
    — Donna Vickroy, Chicago Tribune, 29 May 2026
  • Randle has often been slow to close out on 3-point shooters and inattentive off the ball.
    — Jon Krawczynski, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Some pitchers are as inattentive as a person who leaves the car key in the ignition overnight.
    — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2022
  • Such fake apps are designed by crafty developers to trick inattentive users.
    — The Economist, 12 Oct. 2017
  • Audiences no longer accept the inattentive dad who isn't sensitive to the needs of his kids.
    — Maia Efrem, refinery29.com, 15 June 2019
  • Audiences no longer accept the inattentive dad who isn't sensitive to the needs of his kids.
    — refinery29.com, 13 June 2018
  • Even inattentive gardeners wouldn’t wait that long to effect a return.
    — Neil Sperry, star-telegram, 15 Sep. 2017
  • Hard, long turns at first base on singles, just itching to take the extra base on an inattentive outfielder.
    — San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2022
  • The threat comes not just from inattentive drivers, but those who might want to deliberately cause harm.
    — Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY, 11 Aug. 2020
  • While curves on the road are marked, inattentive drivers traveling too fast can be surprised by them and lose control.
    — David Staats, idahostatesman, 13 Jan. 2018
  • Some people mentioned how dog owners are inattentive to their dog’s behavior at dog parks.
    — Cathy M. Rosenthal, San Antonio Express-News, 25 Nov. 2021
  • If the driver remains inattentive, the car will exit traffic lanes and stop itself.
    — Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2021
  • To be inattentive is to forget to call, to fail to notice that someone is upset, to let the baby play with the kitchen knives.
    — Hari Kunzru, Harper's Magazine, 22 June 2021
  • The driver of the Chevrolet was cited with a charge of inattentive driving.
    — Washington Post, 11 May 2022
  • Finding out why Woods was so inattentive to his driving is another.
    — Tim Dahlberg, Star Tribune, 1 Apr. 2021
  • Never let it be said that Davenport is inattentive to detail.
    — Tim Sullivan, The Courier-Journal, 27 Oct. 2017
  • To discipline his inattentive son, his father, who was chairman of the local draft board, got his son drafted.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 28 Nov. 2019
  • To discipline his inattentive son, his father, who was chairman of the local draft board, got his son drafted.
    — Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2019
  • An inattentive worker in one part of the chain could cause problems in another, Jindel said.
    — John Tuohy, The Indianapolis Star, 18 Apr. 2021
  • There’s a fine line between obtrusive service, with servers buzzing like flies around the table, and inattentive service.
    — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Also because Kizer had the pocket presence of change falling out of a hole in an inattentive man's pants.
    — Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com, 30 Mar. 2018
  • By then, inattentive patient care in Bedford had already proven to be fatal to one resident.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 18 June 2018
  • Driving one in a world of speed limits and inattentive Prius drivers requires major restraint.
    — Car and Driver, 28 Nov. 2018
  • The causes ranged from aggressive, inattentive and drunken driving, to people falling asleep at the wheel.
    — Jessica Lee, The Seattle Times, 15 May 2017
  • Jose Siri had a straight steal of home for the Rays in the seventh inning off an inattentive Durbin Feltman.
    — Peter Abraham, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Mar. 2023
  • Tips for riders Be prepared for inattentive drivers by staying focused on riding and keeping your speed in check.
    — Mars King, Twin Cities, 19 Sep. 2025
  • Still, some teachers feel unequipped to deal with the magnitude of the problem and blame lax discipline policies and inattentive parents.
    — Lauren Lumpkin The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 28 Aug. 2023
  • Burke said Bhattacharyya had lost the right to take care of the patient by being inattentive during the initial operation.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 30 Aug. 2022
  • His book is largely inattentive to the process of scientific invention and to the types of licensing rights that bring new products into use.
    — Daniel J. Kevles, The New York Review of Books, 14 Sep. 2023

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inattentive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: