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oblivious

adjective
obliv·​i·​ous | \ ə-ˈbli-vē-əs How to pronounce oblivious (audio) \

Definition of oblivious

1 : lacking remembrance, memory, or mindful attention
2 : lacking active conscious knowledge or awareness —usually used with of or to
Other Words from oblivious Synonyms & Antonyms How to Use Oblivious in a Sentence: does it go with 'of' or 'to'? Example Sentences Learn More about oblivious

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Other Words from oblivious

obliviously adverb
obliviousness noun

How to Use Oblivious in a Sentence: does it go with 'of' or 'to'?

Oblivious usually has to do with not being conscious or aware of someone or something. When used with this meaning, it can be followed by either to or of:

The cat had crept in silently, and we were oblivious to its presence in the room.

There was no chance that anyone could be oblivious of the dog, though; it greeted everyone in the room with frisky leaps.

Oblivious can also have to do with forgetfulness, and when it's used this way, it is often followed by of (but not to):

The child had brought in a snake she'd discovered in the garden, oblivious of the promise she'd made to leave all found creatures outside.

Whatever meaning of oblivious you choose to use, the noun that correlates with this adjective is obliviousness:

Our obliviousness to the cat's presence in the room was quickly corrected by the dog's discovery of the cat under the chair.

The noun oblivion is related to both, of course, but it is not the noun form of oblivious.

Examples of oblivious in a Sentence

They were pushing and shouting and oblivious to anyone not in their group. — P. J. O'Rourke, Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 1996 Prentice looked up from his food, which he had been steadily shovelling in, completely oblivious of everyone. — Antonya Nelson, New Yorker, 9 Nov. 1992 Oblivious of any previous decisions not to stand together …  , the three stood in a tight group … — Doris Lessing, The Good Terrorist, 1985 Father was oblivious to the man's speculative notice of his wife. — E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime, 1974 She rested now, frankly and fairly, in the shelter of his arms, and both were oblivious to the gale that rushed past them in quicker and stronger blasts. — Jack London, Burning Daylight, 1910 the out-of-state motorist claimed to be oblivious of the local speed limit, even though the signs must have been hard to miss
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Recent Examples on the Web

 But somehow visionaries who claim to see into the future were oblivious to the horror right before their eyes. — BostonGlobe.com, "Why couldn’t the visionaries at MIT spot a bad actor like Jeffrey Epstein?," 26 Aug. 2019 Azizi is still the dumb one of the bunch, but instead of not being able to stop laughing (almost maniacally so), Andre’s spin on the goofy hyena sees him as more oblivious to personal space. — Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, "All the differences between the original Lion King and the remake," 23 July 2019 Others said companies seem oblivious to the value diverse perspectives bring to product design and customer communication, helping businesses reach a broader market. — Mike Rogoway, oregonlive.com, "Tech industry’s diversity push pleases white workers, survey finds, but not others," 5 Aug. 2019 The car pulled over immediately and, according to the officer’s report, the driver seemed oblivious as to why he was pulled over. — cleveland.com, "Girl, 14, charged with several offenses after being found walking at 3:25 a.m.: Cleveland Heights police blotter," 2 Aug. 2019 Editors tend to choose reviewers who have read the same body of literature, Sugimoto adds, and may be oblivious to valid work disproving their viewpoint. — Sarah Wild, Quartz Africa, "How long-discredited “race science” research got published from two South African universities," 29 July 2019 Cara thought the wine would make Karen seem more oblivious to what the kids were getting into. — Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "Who is "Stranger Things' Star Cara Buono?," 15 July 2019 But this perhaps explains why Sunstein seems oblivious to this political moment as one requiring from government not light touches and cuddles but a major kick up society’s collective ass. — Aaron Timms, The New Republic, "The Sameness of Cass Sunstein," 20 June 2019 Yet her piece seems oblivious of the history of visitors using Tombstone to validate their preconceptions about the American West. — Charles Bethea, The New Yorker, "The Mail," 29 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oblivious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of oblivious

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for oblivious

Middle English, borrowed from Latin oblīviōsus, from oblīvi-, base of oblīviōn-, oblīviō "state of forgetting, dismissal from the memory" + -ōsus -ous — more at oblivion

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More Definitions for oblivious

oblivious

adjective
How to pronounce oblivious (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of oblivious

: not conscious or aware of someone or something

See the full definition for oblivious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

oblivious

adjective
obliv·​i·​ous | \ ə-ˈbli-vē-əs How to pronounce oblivious (audio) \

Kids Definition of oblivious

: not being conscious or aware The boys were oblivious to the danger.

Other Words from oblivious

obliviously adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on oblivious

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with oblivious

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for oblivious

Spanish Central: Translation of oblivious

Nglish: Translation of oblivious for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of oblivious for Arabic Speakers

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