Oblivious-Forgetful | Commonly Confused Words
Learn languages with fun

Master confusing words with ease

Oblivious vs. Forgetful

Oblivious

/əˈblɪviəs/
Unaware or not concerned about what is happening around oneself

Examples:

He walked past, oblivious to the situation around him.Her dog barked loudly, but she remained oblivious.Working deeply, the artist was oblivious to the time passing.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Forgetful

/fəˈɡetfəl/
Often failing to remember things

Examples:

She left her keys at home again, so forgetful!His forgetful nature meant frequent appointments were missed.Despite her charm, her forgetful ways often caused trouble.

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

Ways to tell them apart:

etymology
  • Oblivious people are unaware of what is going on around them, whereas forgetful people struggle to remember things.
  • To be oblivious means you might never have noticed something in the first place, while being forgetful means you've noticed it but cannot recall it later.
  • You might be oblivious to someones feelings if youre not perceptive, but forgetful if you once knew but can't remember those feelings now.
  • Obliviousness often refers to an ongoing state of unawareness, while forgetfulness can refer to specific instances of forgetting.
  • If youre oblivious, you might not even realize youre missing information, but if youre forgetful, you can know youve forgotten something important.
© 2025 Lithium Lab Pte Ltd