inattentive
pronunciation
How to pronounce inattentive in British English:
UK [ˌɪnəˈtentɪv]
How to pronounce inattentive in American English:
US [ˌɪnəˈtentɪv]
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- Adjective:
- showing a lack of attention
- inattentive because of lack of interest
- not showing due care or attention
- unwilling to hear
- not paying attention
Word Origin
- inattentive (adj.)
- 1741, from in- (1) "not, opposite of" + attentive. Related: Inattentively; inattentiveness.
Synonym
Example
- 1. His labour predecessors , smiling wryly , could have foreseen the results : promising reforms stalled while unfinished ideas , such as the nhs plan , were casually signed through by an inattentive downing street .
- 2. Beth-ann left the couch after staring at the news for ten inattentive minutes . She stepped quietly out of the elevator into the basement and saw her laundry basket filled with clothes , dry and folded . Her throat felt parched .
- 3. Under these circumstances one could forgive the us for lecturing others on fiscal policy , were it not for the fact that poor us financial regulation and inattentive monetary policy caused the crisis in the first place , and its own fiscal policy is a shambles .
- 4. Two days after the crime , when female legislators sought to speak about it in the upper house of the indian parliament , they had to insist and shout for more time as the speaker repeatedly told them that the house had other business to attend to ; their male colleagues were largely inattentive .
- 5. The us adminstration 's foreign policy has drawn criticism at home from republicans arguing it is too soft on america 's enemies and , abroad , from europeans complaining barack obama is inattentive towards his friends .