Roget's Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases by Peter Mark Roget

458. Inattention — N. inattention, inconsideration; inconsiderateness

&c adj.; oversight; inadvertence, inadvertency, nonobservance, disregard. supineness &c (inactivity) 683; etourderie [Fr.], want of thought; heedlessness &c (neglect) 460; insouciance &c (indifference) 866. abstraction; absence of mind, absorption of mind; preoccupation, distraction, reverie, brown study, deep musing, fit of abstraction. V. be inattentive &c adj.; overlook, disregard; pass by &c (neglect) 460; not observe &c 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 &c (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. Adj. inattentive; unobservant, unmindful, heedless, unthinking, unheeding, undiscerning†; inadvertent; mindless, regardless, respectless†, listless &c (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 &c (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 &c (attentive) 457; daydreaming, in a reverie &c n.; off one's guard &c (inexpectant) 508 [Obs.]; napping; dreamy; caught napping. disconcerted, distracted, put out &c v.. Adv. inattentively, inadvertently, absent-mindedly &c adj.†; per incuriam [Lat.], sub silentio [Lat.]. Int. stand at ease, stand easy!, Phr. 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.