Basic Details
Word: Absent-minded
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Often forgetting things or not noticing what is going on, because your mind is on something else.
Synonyms: forgetful, distracted, dreamy, preoccupied
Antonyms: alert, attentive, watchful
How to Spell Absent-minded
Syllables: ab - sent - mind - ed
Tricky part: A hyphen joins absent and minded. Absent ends in ent, not ant, which is the usual slip.
Watch out for: absant-minded, absent-mindid, absint-minded
Memory tip: Your mind is absent from the room, so you are absent-minded. Absent is spelt as on the attendance register, with ent, then a hyphen and minded.
Usage Examples
Example 1: My absent-minded uncle once put his spectacles in the fridge.
Example 2: Being absent-minded, Kabir left his tiffin box on the bus again.
Example 3: She gave an absent-minded nod and went on reading.
Fun Fact
The Absent-Minded Professor is a 1961 Disney comedy about a forgetful scientist who invents a bouncy, flying rubber called flubber.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word absent-minded as used in the sentence:
The absent-minded scientist walked into the laboratory wearing one black sock and one brown.
a) forgetful
b) attentive
c) cheerful
d) careful
Show answer
a) forgetful. Odd socks are the mark of someone who forgets things, so forgetful fits; attentive and careful point the other way.
Word Makeup
Choose the correctly spelt compound word:
a) absent-minded
b) well-behavied
c) kind-harted
d) short-temperd
Show answer
a) absent-minded. Absent-minded joins two correctly spelt words; the others need heart, behaved and tempered.
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
absente-minded
a) n
b) e
c) t
d) d
Show answer
b) e. Absent ends in t and goes straight on to the hyphen.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. An absent-minded person is most likely to ____.
a) win every argument
b) arrive early every day
c) keep a neat diary
d) forget where the keys are
Show answer
d) forget where the keys are
2. The opposite of absent-minded is ____.
a) dreamy
b) forgetful
c) sleepy
d) alert
Show answer
d) alert
