* Literal: The old photograph was lost to oblivion after the fire destroyed the family home.
* Figurative: After a long day at work, she just wanted to sink into the oblivion of a hot bath.
* Metaphorical: The once-famous actor faded into oblivion, his name forgotten by all but a few.
* Literary: The ancient city lay in oblivion, swallowed by the relentless desert sands.
"Oblivion" can be used to describe both physical and metaphorical states of being forgotten or unknown.