Some people notice everything; some notice nothing. These words describe both, and the steps in between: taking something in through the senses (perceive), telling things apart (discern), understanding something deep (fathom) and gathering facts a little at a time (glean). The adjectives describe watchful people (vigilant, wary), aware people (cognizant) and people who miss what is right in front of them (oblivious, heedless).
Key idea
Paying attention: perceive, discern, vigilant, wary, cognizant. Not paying attention: oblivious, heedless. Hard to notice: subtle.
The ten words
Common mistake
wary (cautious) is not weary (tired). oblivious is followed by "to" or "of": oblivious to the noise.
| watchful | aware | unaware |
|---|---|---|
| vigilant: alert for danger | cognizant: knowing about it | oblivious: not noticing at all |
| wary: cautious, suspicious | perceive: to notice it | heedless: ignoring warnings |
Wary and weary differ by one letter. Wary means cautious; weary means tired. Oblivious takes “to” or “of”: oblivious to the noise, oblivious of the time.