Finishing second in the Olympics gets you silver. Finishing second in politics gets you oblivion.
Source: tatoeba (679476)
Oblivion
/əˈblɪviːən/
Synonyms for "oblivion" (108 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (22)
abandonabsentmindednessanonymityblacknessblackoutblank mindblankmindednessblanknesscalm of mindcareless abandoncarelessnesscasualnesscatalepsycatatoniacatatonycomacursorinessdarknessdecay of memorydisregard
Show 1 more word
Noun(1 words)
ceases to exist
Strong matches (32)
easinessemptiness of mindempty-headednessextinctionfaintfallow mindfatuityfoolishnessforgetfulnessforgettingforgivenessgrayouthastinesshazy recollectionheedlessnessinanityinconsideratenessinconsiderationindifferenceinsensibility
Show 7 more words
Noun(5 words)
Related words (54)
lethelimbolipothymialipothymymental blanknessnepenthenihilitynirvananirvana principlenothingnessobliterationobliviousnessobscurityoffhandednesspassivityperfunctorinessquietismrecklessnessregardlessnesssemiconsciousness
Show 26 more words
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: abandon, absentmindedness, anonymity, blackness, blackout.
- Sentence evidence is available for oblivion, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wiktionary, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "oblivion".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "oblivion"
Keep "oblivion" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "oblivion" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "oblivion", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "oblivion" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
6 entriesMore specific
6 entriesCollocations
6 entriescollective oblivioncultural oblivionfall into oblivionhistorical oblivioninto oblivionpublic oblivion
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
3 entriesTranslations
48 translations across 33 languages.
Albanian
1 entries- harresë noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Ancient Greek
1 entries- λήθη noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Arabic
1 entries- نِسْيَان noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Bulgarian
1 entries- забраванство noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Catalan
1 entries- oblit noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Czech
1 entries- zapomnění noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Danish
1 entries- glemsel noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Dutch
1 entries- vergeetachtigheid noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Esperanto
1 entries- nekonscio noun (state of permanent unconsciousness after death)
Finnish
3 entries- hajamielisyys noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- olemattomuus noun (state of permanent unconsciousness after death)
- unohtelu noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
French
1 entries- oubli noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Galician
1 entries- esquecemento noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Georgian
1 entries- გულმავიწყობა noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
German
1 entries- Vergessen noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Greek
2 entries- λήθη noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- λησμονιά noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Hebrew
1 entries- שִׁכְחָה noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Hungarian
1 entries- feledés noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Ido
1 entries- oblivieso noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Italian
4 entries- dimenticanza noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- oblio noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- scordamento noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- smemorataggine noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Latin
1 entries- oblīviō noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Latvian
2 entries- aizmirstība noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- aizmirsība noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Macedonian
1 entries- заборав noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Middle English
1 entries- oblivion noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Norwegian Bokmål
1 entries- glemsel noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Norwegian Nynorsk
1 entries- gløymsle noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Polish
1 entries- nieświadomość noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Portuguese
3 entries- esquecimento noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- oblívio noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- olvido noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Russian
2 entries- забытье́ noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- забытьё noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Spanish
3 entries- desmemoria noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- olvidanza noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- olvido noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Tachawit
1 entries- itta noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Turkish
2 entries- nisyan noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- unutma noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Ukrainian
1 entries- забуття noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
Welsh
2 entries- angof noun (state of forgetfulness or distraction)
- ebargofiant noun (state of permanent unconsciousness after death)
Sample sentences
15 total sentences available.
I feel as if I've been thrown into oblivion.
Source: tatoeba (3254088)
This cooking technique has passed into oblivion.
Source: tatoeba (4403307)
Sometimes silence is not oblivion. Sometimes silence is only patience.
Source: tatoeba (6299324)
Showing 4 of 15 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "oblivion"?
Closest matches include abandon, absentmindedness, anonymity, blackness, blackout.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "oblivion"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.