Word
absent
Meanings
not in a place where someone is expected to be
Image generation queued.
not paying attention; seeming to think about something else
Image generation queued.
Definition
Not present in a place where someone is expected to be.
If someone is absent, they are not in the place where they are supposed to be, such as school, work, or a meeting. It can describe a person who is missing or a thing that is not there. It can also describe someone who seems not to be paying attention. The opposite is present.
Examples
- I was absent from the seminar because my flight was delayed by bad weather.
- You were absent from the team briefing, so you missed the revised deadlines.
- He was absent for most of the workshop, and the facilitator had to recap the key points for him.
- She seemed absent during dinner, barely reacting to the conversation around her.
- They were absent from the final rehearsal, which put extra pressure on the rest of the cast.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse absent (not present) with opposite (the reverse of something).
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More adjectives
- agnostic An agnostic is someone who does not claim to know whether God exists.
- pragmatic Pragmatic means focused on practical results rather than ideals or theories.
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- cynical Cynical describes believing that people are mainly motivated by self-interest and not sincere.
- apathetic Apathetic means showing little or no interest, concern, or enthusiasm.