absent-mindedness

/ˌæbsənt ˈmaɪndɪdnəs/ (bre, ipa) · /ˌæbsənt ˈmaɪndɪdnəs/ (ame, ipa)

1.名詞C2

釋義

A tendency to be so occupied by other thoughts that you stop noticing the task in front of you and often forget everyday practical details.

例句

A moment of absent-mindedness made Mira leave her lunchbox on the train.

pattern: a moment of absent-mindedness

During the call, Christopher's absent-mindedness led him to email the wrong file.

pattern: absent-mindedness led someone to + verb

同義詞

forgetfulness
More general and often about memory itself, while 'absent-mindedness' highlights attention drifting away from the present task.
distraction
Can come from an outside interruption, whereas 'absent-mindedness' often starts inside the person's own thoughts.
preoccupation
Stresses being absorbed by one strong concern; 'absent-mindedness' focuses on the careless results of that mental drift.

反義詞

attentiveness
Means careful notice of what is happening now.
focus
Emphasizes steady mental control on one task.

文法句型

a moment of absent-mindedness

someone's absent-mindedness

absent-mindedness + led to + noun/verb-ing

用法筆記

Usually refers either to a recurring habit or to one short lapse, often in the phrase 'a moment of absent-mindedness'. Distinguish it from 'forgetfulness': absent-mindedness suggests the person's thoughts are elsewhere at that moment, not simply that information was lost from memory.

常見錯誤

❌I had an absent-mindedness and missed the stop.

✅I was absent-minded and missed the stop.

💡Use the noun for a quality or lapse, not with 'an' for a single event unless you say 'a moment of absent-mindedness.'

❌His absent-mindedness means he cannot remember any school facts.

✅His forgetfulness means he cannot remember any school facts.

💡'Absent-mindedness' usually means being mentally elsewhere in the moment, not a broad failure to remember stored information.

absent-mindedness