What does oblivious mean?
Word: Oblivious
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Oblivious means not noticing what is going on around you.
Synonyms: unaware, heedless
Antonyms: attentive, alert
Word origin: From Latin oblivisci.
How do you spell oblivious?
Syllables: ob - liv - i - ous
Tricky part: One small vowel disappears. Students write oblivous, because the i before ous is said so quickly.
Watch out for: oblivous, oblivius, obliveous
Memory tip: Oblivion has the same i right after the v; keep it when the ending changes.
Oblivious in a sentence
Example 1: Rahul was so busy texting that he was oblivious to the bus pulling away.
Example 2: The baby slept on, oblivious to the noise of the crackers outside.
Example 3: Absorbed in their chess game, the two friends were oblivious to the time.
Fun Fact
For centuries oblivious meant forgetful; the sense of not noticing grew common only in the 1800s.
Practise the CREST Way
Spellacadabra
Choose the option in which the following letters will fit in the given order:
o, i, i, o, u
a) _mb_t___s
b) _bv___s
c) _bl_v___s
d) _bn_x___s
Show answer
c) _bl_v___s. Obnoxious has o as its second vowel, ambitious opens with a, and obvious has one blank too few.
Word Twins
Choose the correct option to fill both blanks:
1. Lost in her book, Tara was ____ to the rain drumming on the roof. 2. The answer became ____ once the teacher drew a diagram on the board.
a) oblivious/obvious
b) 'obvious' in both
c) obvious/oblivious
d) 'oblivious' in both
Show answer
a) oblivious/obvious. Tara has not noticed the rain, while the answer is now easy to see.
Word Puzzle
Match the words with their meanings:
1. oblivious 2. reticent 3. opaque a. lost to what is happening nearby b. not letting light pass through c. unwilling to say much
a) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b
d) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
Show answer
c) 1-a, 2-c, 3-b. A reticent person says little, and an opaque window blocks the light.
Word Champ
In which option are the given words arranged in alphabetical order?
1. oblivious 2. oblique 3. oblivion 4. oblige
a) 4213
b) 4321
c) 4231
d) 2431
Show answer
c) 4231. After obli the next letters are g, q and v, and the two v words are split by n and u.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which behaviour shows someone being oblivious?
a) stopping to greet a friend warmly
b) sending a friend a birthday card
c) walking past a friend who is waving
d) lending a friend a useful book
Show answer
c) walking past a friend who is waving
2. 'He was oblivious to the fuss his joke had caused.' What was true of him?
a) He had not noticed the fuss.
b) He had started the fuss on purpose.
c) He was angry about the fuss.
d) He was proud of the fuss.
Show answer
a) He had not noticed the fuss.
