as in distracted
lost in thought and unaware of one's surroundings or actions
too preoccupied with her worries to enjoy the meal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in interested
to be thought about or worried about by (someone) very often or constantly
The question of life after death has preoccupied many philosophers.
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of preoccupied
Daniel Kolitz, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
The puzzle of who-knows-who-knows-what, always fascinating to fans of mystery novels and spy thrillers, has long preoccupied psychologists and game theorists.
—Joshua Rothman, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2025
Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Dec. 2025
Although his oeuvre was preoccupied with love in all its shades, the image of James Baldwin that endures in American memory is profoundly isolated and aromantic.
—The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preoccupied
Adjective
WristbandGuy, for his part, was an amiable if preoccupied host.
—Verb
As for why North Texans weren’t head over heels for the World Cup, WFAA pointed to the local sports world being preoccupied with its own teams.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for preoccupied
Adjective
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In Arizona, our driving laws are influenced by factors like busy freeways in metro Phoenix, monsoon season flooding, outdated transportation modes and distracted driving laws.—
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That the impossible standards we're sold are designed to keep us small, distracted, and spending money on the next fix.—
Verb
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Tommaso di Lampedusa’s novel, which looks at the unification of Italy from the perspective of a 20th-century writer, had a modernity that interested me.—
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Since his death more than two hundred years ago, Christophe’s tragic story has interested a broad array of playwrights, artists, novelists, and filmmakers across the world.—
Verb
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Cushionaire Belinda Ballet Sneakers with Ribbon Ties I’ve been intrigued by the ballet sneakers trend for quite some time, and my interest was further piqued when Nicole Kidman wore a pair recently.—
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The result of at least 2 years of R&D, prototyping, testing and reworking the idea from Band Industries founders Hassane Slaibi and Bassam Jalgha, the concept intrigued me.—
Verb
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Bass, who as a young man played a year as a tailback for the Utah State Aggies, was fascinated by the program, and its coach, Anthony Barnes.—
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Shakespeare has always fascinated me as a challenge, and Romeo & Juliet is one of the most famous stories in the world.—
Cite this Entry
“Preoccupied.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preoccupied. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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