oblivion
/əˈblɪvɪən
/noun [mass noun]
1The state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening around one: they drank themselves into oblivion...
- Brad only groaned once as Kurt and Vincent lifted him between them, and then the dark and painless unconscious oblivion claimed him again.
- Our sages teach us that our oblivion, our unawareness of the full ramifications of every harsh word and action, lasts only until the day of death.
- The oblivion of unconsciousness was creeping up on her at its leisure, and she would make him regret murdering her too slowly.
Synonyms
unconsciousness, insensibility, stupor, stupefaction, senselessness, blankness, darkness;
coma, blackout;
obliviousness, unawareness, ignorance, amnesia
literary the waters of Lethe
1.1The state of being forgotten, especially by the public: his name will fade into oblivion...
- For the unsuccessful ones, their ordeal simply fades into public oblivion.
- And like the unperfected Polaroid of a beginning we've forgotten, it should fade into oblivion in no time.
- So yet another great album was destined to fade into oblivion, before being picked up on by a few musos, plundered for sounds and style, hailed in retrospect as a classic and finally reissued on CD.
1.2Destruction or extinction: only our armed forces stood between us and oblivion...
- It feels as though I'm rescuing lives from oblivion, from utter destruction by the Garbage Truck of Fate.
- Of course, there are also those who do not subscribe to any religious faith and who may believe that death leads to nothingness, oblivion.
- During the Ottoman conquest of the end of that century Perperikon has been conquered, destroyed and doomed to oblivion.
Synonyms
obscurity, non-existence, limbo, void, vacuum, nothingness, nihility, nullity, extinction, anonymity, neglect, disregard
2 Law, historical Amnesty or pardon.
Origin
Late Middle English: via Old French from Latin oblivio(n-), from oblivisci 'forget'.