oblivion
- 01 C1 Advanced
the state of being completely forgotten by the public or by history.
the state of being forgotten or unknown to the public; a condition of total obscurity or non-existence in memory.
Simple“The once-famous singer lived the rest of his life in total oblivion.”
In context“Many revolutionary technologies of the nineteenth century have since faded into oblivion, replaced by more efficient modern alternatives.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
a state where you are not aware of anything, often because of sleep, drugs, or alcohol.
a state of being unaware or unconscious, typically induced by sleep, intoxication, or medical conditions.
Simple“He drank until he reached a state of blissful oblivion.”
In context“After the exhausting climb, she collapsed onto her bed and sank into the oblivion of a deep, dreamless sleep.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C2 Proficiency
an official act of forgetting or forgiving past crimes or mistakes.
an official oversight or pardon of past offences; a legal act of forgetting.
Simple“The king granted an act of oblivion to those who had fought against him.”
In context“The treaty included an act of oblivion, ensuring that no citizen would be prosecuted for political actions taken during the civil war.”
Antonyms
“Symbolically, it may be deemed a bit on the nose: two people near the end of their lives, moving gently towards the white light of oblivion.”
“Despite the narrator’s promise of a better life, it isn’t clear who is dragging whom further into coked-out oblivion.”
Inherited from Middle English oblivion, from Anglo-Norman oblivion, from Latin oblīviō (“forgetfulness”), from oblīvīscor (“to forget”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.