abstracted 1 of 2

abstracted

2 of 2

verb

past tense of abstract

Synonym Chooser

How is the word abstracted distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of abstracted are absentminded, absent, distracted, and preoccupied. While all these words mean "inattentive to what claims or demands consideration," abstracted implies absorption of the mind in something other than one's surroundings, and often suggests reflection on weighty matters.

walking about with an abstracted air

In what contexts can absent take the place of abstracted?

Although the words absent and abstracted have much in common, absent stresses inability to fix the mind on present concerns due more to mental wandering than to concentration on other matters.

an absent stare

When can absentminded be used instead of abstracted?

In some situations, the words absentminded and abstracted are roughly equivalent. However, absentminded implies that the mind is fixed elsewhere and often refers to a habit of abstractedness.

so absentminded, he's been known to wear mismatched shoes

When would distracted be a good substitute for abstracted?

The words distracted and abstracted are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, distracted may suggest an inability to concentrate caused by worry, sorrow, or anxiety.

was too distracted by grief to continue working

When could preoccupied be used to replace abstracted?

While the synonyms preoccupied and abstracted are close in meaning, preoccupied often implies having one's attention so taken up by thoughts as to neglect others.

too preoccupied with her debts to enjoy the meal

Examples Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of abstracted
Adjective
The filmmaker, however, opts for a more abstracted view, mostly keeping character backgrounds opaque to focus on here-and-now visual oddity. Ben Croll, IndieWire, 12 Sep. 2024 There was an abstracted print of swimmers rendered in black and tan, which called to mind a tiger print. Blue Carreon, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024
Verb
But another reason might be a latent hunger for rock that’s abstracted, collaborative, and sensation-first. Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 2 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for abstracted 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for abstracted
Adjective
  • Some of the best and brightest Atlanta-area criminal defense attorneys were entirely preoccupied.
    Anthony Michael Kreis, Rolling Stone, 4 Dec. 2024
  • People are too preoccupied with day-to-day life and are not well enough educated to do anything about it.
    Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 10 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • In any case, we will not be distracted, delayed or deterred in our efforts to obtain a new trial for Danny Masterson.
    Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 10 Dec. 2024
  • Russia, distracted by its war in Ukraine, failed to provide back-up.
    John Feffer, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • Science journal Nature summarized these concerns in a 2022 editorial, warning that hydrogen requires large quantities of electricity for it to be separated from other elements—electricity that could otherwise be used to directly power homes, businesses and vehicles.
    David Vetter, Forbes, 5 Dec. 2024
  • Activating the Pay Attention feature causes a Moto device to begin recording audio, which can be transcribed and summarized for future reference.
    Iyaz Akhtar, PCMAG, 27 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • The restructure diverted all of Patagonia’s earnings not reinvested in the business to the Holdfast Collective.
    Tripp Westbrook, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
  • It is hoped that the soccer media focus will not be too diverted as UEFA hopes that for the first time that the UEFA Women's Euro will attract global television viewership of over 500 million.
    Asif Burhan, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
  • The Suggestions In court filings released Tuesday, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office outlined several options to ensure the historic conviction remains intact.
    Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024
  • As outlined in Justice Alito's dissenting opinion, the Seventh Circuit court ruled that the groups could not bring a case to court to challenge the policy unless one of their children were trans and the parent had, consequently, been directly affected by the policy.
    Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 10 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near abstracted

Cite this Entry

“Abstracted.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/abstracted. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on abstracted

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