Preoccupied (Adjective)
Meaning 1
Having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something; "became more and more haunted by the stupid riddle"; "was absolutely obsessed with the girl"; "got no help from his wife who was preoccupied with the children"; "he was taken up in worry for the old woman".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- The team was preoccupied with their next project, and hardly had time to enjoy their current success.
- Her parents were preoccupied with financial struggles and rarely attended school events.
- After the breakup, he became preoccupied with winning his ex back, but eventually realized it was a lost cause.
- She was preoccupied with worry about her mother's declining health, and found it hard to focus on work.
- The professor was preoccupied with publishing her research and often neglected her students' queries.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Deeply absorbed in thought; "as distant and bemused as a professor listening to the prattling of his freshman class"; "lost in thought"; "a preoccupied frown".
Classification
All adjective clusters.
Examples
- She walked down the street with a preoccupied expression, oblivious to the sights and sounds around her.
- His preoccupied stare made me wonder if he was even listening to the conversation.
- After receiving the bad news, she was preoccupied with worries about the future.
- The artist's preoccupied demeanor suggested that she was still struggling to find inspiration for her next project.
- The student's preoccupied gaze out the window indicated that her mind was elsewhere, rather than on the lesson at hand.