Roget's Thesaurus

#458. Inattention

Nouns

inattention, inconsideration; inconsiderateness etc. adj.; oversight; inadvertence, inadvertency, nonobservance, disregard. supineness etc. (inactivity) 683; etourderie [Fr.], want of thought; heedlessness etc. (neglect) 460; insouciance etc. (indifference) 866. abstraction; absence of mind, absorption of mind; preoccupation, distraction, reverie, brown study, deep musing, fit of abstraction.

Verbs

be inattentive etc. adj.; overlook, disregard; pass by etc. (neglect) 460; not observe etc. 457; think little of. close one's eyes to, shut one's eyes to; pay no attention to; dismiss from one's thoughts, discard from one's thoughts, discharge from one's thoughts, dismiss from one's mind, discard from one's mind, discharge from one's mind; drop the subject, think no more of; set aside, turn aside, put aside; turn away from, turn one's attention from, turn a deaf ear to, turn one's back upon. abstract oneself, dream, indulge in reverie. escape notice, escape attention; come in at one ear and go out at the other; forget etc. (have no remembrance) 506. call off the attention, draw off the attention, call away the attention, divert the attention, distract the mind; put out of one's head; disconcert, discompose; put out, confuse, perplex, bewilder, moider, fluster, muddle, dazzle; throw a sop to Cerberus.

Adjectives

inattentive; unobservant, unmindful, heedless, unthinking, unheeding, undiscerning; inadvertent; mindless, regardless, respectless, listless etc. (indifferent) 866; blind, deaf; bird-witted; hand over head; cursory, percursory; giddy-brained, scatter-brained, hare-brained; unreflective, unreflecting, ecervele [Fr.]; offhand; dizzy, muzzy, brainsick; giddy, giddy as a goose; wild, harum-scarum, rantipole, highflying; heedless, careless etc. (neglectful) 460. inconsiderate, thoughtless. absent, abstracted, distrait; absentminded, lost; lost in thought, wrapped in thought; rapt, in the clouds, bemused; dreaming on other things, musing on other things; preoccupied, engrossed etc. (attentive) 457; daydreaming, in a reverie etc. n.; off one's guard etc. (inexpectant) 508; napping; dreamy; caught napping. disconcerted, distracted, put out etc. v..

Adverbs

inattentively, inadvertently, absent-mindedly etc. adj.; per incuriam [Lat.], sub silentio [Lat.].

Interjections

stand at ease, stand easy!

Phrases

the attention wanders; one's wits gone a woolgathering, one's wits gone a bird's nesting; it never entered into one's head; the mind running on other things; one's thoughts being elsewhere; had it been a bear it would have bitten you.