reply absently

Frequency: 6.79.0 per million words

To give an answer without real thought or attention.

absentlyVERB + absently

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reply

Examples (10)

  • He barely glanced up from his game and just replied absently, "Yeah, sure."
  • Lost in her memories, she replied absently when asked what she wanted for dinner.
  • "Everything's fine," he replied absently, his eyes still glued to the newspaper.
  • When his boss asked for an update, he was so preoccupied with personal problems that he replied absently.
  • His tendency to reply absently often led to misunderstandings at home.
  • "I'm not even sure you're listening," she sighed, after he'd replied absently for the third time.
  • Absently, he replied, "That sounds nice," without having heard a single word she said.
  • The scientist, engrossed in her calculations, would often reply absently to any interruption.
  • By the time he realized his mistake, he had already replied absently and agreed to the plan.
  • Staring at the road ahead, the driver replied absently to the passenger's chatter.