INOBSERVANT Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

inobservant

adjective

Definition of inobservant

as in inattentive

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inobservant

Adjective

By the same token, French-style discretion can be interpreted by American visitors as inattentive and rude.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026
Watts was largely inattentive in those vulnerable moments, Anna says.

— Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of inattentive

Adjective

As a whole, the ballet’s arc can feel unfocussed, arhythmic—some parts overstuffed with action, others failing to fill with expressive movement Joby Talbot’s lavish score.

— Hannah Aizenman, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026
Echo Theater Company’s ambitious production brings lively design and a volatile cast to the stage, but an unfocused script and feverish direction overwhelm the story.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of unfocused

Adjective

As materials pass through hubs like Singapore, their origins often become increasingly abstracted.

— Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle, Forbes.com, 19 Mar. 2026
Affecting meaningful change — or suffering from the lack of it — has become so abstracted for the rich and powerful that everything feels like entertainment to them.

— David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 7 Sep. 2025

Definition of abstracted

Adjective

The program has been under consideration for some time, Fujitsu says, and its aim is not to pin down what women bring to animation that was previously absent.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 26 Oct. 2026
Most notably, Gershman has been absent, having fought to be able to hold an instrument or pick up his son again after a debilitating battle with long COVID and resulting autoimmune disease.

— Leena Tailor, SPIN, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of absent

Adjective

Five years earlier my brother had gotten married, leaving me home alone without the buffers of his distracted affection, his big brotherly insouciance, his rebellious indifference to the emotional chasm widening between our parents.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 26 Oct. 2026
The operation then went city-wide and focused on speeding, distracted driving, pedestrian and bicycle-related violations, as well as unsafe movements and right-of-way violations.

— Coleman Petit, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of distracted

Adjective

The steady trickle of those recordings into the groundwater of influence has guaranteed the album its afterlife, both as a great lost future of American music and as a central pillar in the group’s legacy.

— Ryan Meehan, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026
Walczak’s estimates assume local governments raise tax rates enough to fully replace the lost revenue, based on state property records for every parcel in Florida.

— Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of lost

Adjective

Just ask anyone who published on Tuesday, 9/11, or in the early months of COVID-19, only to see the product of their heart and labor disappear into a preoccupied world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Oct. 2026
First with books, when my parents were too preoccupied to notice my withdrawing; later with men.

— Paula Grieve, Washington Post, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of preoccupied

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

inobservance

inobservant

inoculate

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Inobservant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inobservant. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of inobservant

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

shindig

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes