Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

oblivious

/əˈblɪviəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.31 in modern English

Syllables: obliv-i-ous
IPA: /əˈblɪviəs/

14

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Lacking awareness; unmindful; unaware, unconscious of.

adj

Dated

Example Sentences

"Your grandmother is completely oblivious to her surroundings."
"He's hopelessly oblivious, always forgetting his appointments."

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”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: oblivious, oblīviōsus

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /əˈblɪviəs/
British English: /əˈblɪviəs/

Usage

Dated

Inflected Forms

more oblivious (comparative) most oblivious (superlative)

Derived Forms

nonoblivious obliviously obliviousness semioblivious unoblivious

Phrases

cache-oblivious oblivious transfer

Frequently Paired Words

oblivion oblivious transfer

Synonyms

forgetful unmindful

Rhymes With

lascivious

Questions

How do you pronounce oblivious?: The recorded pronunciation is /əˈblɪviəs/.
What does oblivious mean?: Lacking awareness; unmindful; unaware, unconscious of.
Where does oblivious come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce oblivious

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “oblivious”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/əˈblɪviəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “oblivious”.
Repeat and practice — Say “oblivious” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.