Meaning & use

preoccupied

adjective·Academic

So focused on one thought or concern that little attention is given to anything else.

See it in a sentence

He was too preoccupied with work to notice his coffee had gone cold.

She seemed preoccupied during dinner, barely responding to our questions.

A note on using this word

Preoccupied is usually followed by 'with', as in 'preoccupied with worry', rather than 'preoccupied about'.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “preoccupied”, then compare your use with the examples above.

Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.