Word
oblivious
Phoneticsobliv·i·ous
US/əˈbɫɪviəs/
UK/əblˈɪvɪəs/
Definitions
01unaware of surroundings
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. not noticing something, or not being aware of what is happening around you.
adj. lacking conscious awareness; unmindful or unconscious of surroundings or specific circumstances.
“He was so busy on his phone that he was oblivious to the rain.”
“Absorbed in her research, she remained entirely oblivious to the heated argument taking place just a few feet away from her desk.”
Usage
Usually followed by the preposition 'to' in modern usage, though 'of' is occasionally found in older texts.
Pitfall
He was oblivious about the danger.
He was oblivious to the danger.
In modern English, 'oblivious' is almost always followed by the preposition 'to'.
Synonyms
02forgetful
C1 · Advanced Archaic · Literary
adj. forgetting things easily or not remembering the past.
adj. characterised by or promoting forgetfulness; no longer mindful of the past.
“In his old age, he became oblivious of the many awards he had won.”
“The poet described a peaceful, oblivious sleep that allowed the weary soldier to forget the horrors of the previous day.”
Usage
In this sense, the word is more frequently paired with 'of' than 'to'.
Teaching tip
This sense is rare in modern conversation; students will mostly encounter it in 19th-century literature or formal poetry.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“Yet writers and producers knew that children were not oblivious – that even the 2- to 4-year-olds comprising the core “Sesame Street” audience had some sense of what was going on.” “At least the pair are united in caring for their small son; the concern they devote to a mostly oblivious child is heartrending.” Etymology
From Middle English oblivious, from Latin oblīviōsus (“forgetful, oblivious”), formed from oblīvium (“forgetfulness, oblivion”) + -ōsus (“full of, overly, prone to”), from oblīvīscor (“to forget”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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