Synonyms

distract

American

[dih-strakt] / dɪˈstrækt /

verb (used with object)

to draw away or divert, as the mind or attention.

The music distracted him from his work.
to disturb or trouble greatly in mind; beset.

Grief distracted him.

Synonyms:

distress, torment, pain, agitate, bewilder
to provide a pleasant diversion for; amuse; entertain.

I'm bored with bridge, but golf still distracts me.
to separate or divide by dissension or strife.

adjective

Obsolete. distracted.

distract British

/ dɪˈstrækt /

verb

(often passive) to draw the attention of (a person) away from something
to divide or confuse the attention of (a person)
to amuse or entertain
to trouble greatly
to make mad

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of distract

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin distractus “drawn apart,” past participle of distrahere “to draw apart,” from dis- dis- ¹ + trahere “to draw”

Explanation

Distract is what you do when you draw someone’s attention — Hey! Look! Over there! Oh. Never mind. What was I saying? That’s right: distract is to draw attention away from what someone is doing. Distract comes from the Latin word for “draw apart.” It can be annoying when someone or something distracts you. A loud car alarm or a talkative friend might distract you when you’re watching your favorite TV show. But being distracted is not always bad. Playing a round of miniature golf might distract you from feeling sad about the death of your parakeet.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

distract distracts distracted distracting

For Gen. Munir, glowing headlines abroad may distract from growing troubles at home.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

Maybe it will help distract people from gas prices, maybe only die-hards will care.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

Lineage said in a statement Tuesday that the permit application “will not impact or distract us from the important work of cleanup,” which remains the company’s top priority.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

Supt Ben Martin tells us that the coursers had rampaged through the county deliberately, to distract police and send them to the wrong places.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

I don’t let that beeps and boops distract me from the fact Journey said she thinks it is probable that I am going to Mars!

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

An exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum distracts from its charming objects with a a heavy-handed curatorial message.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026

Ultimately, the fixation on Hasan Piker distracts from more substantive issues.

From Salon ● May 2, 2026

“Having him represent us on the world stage distracts focus from our athletes and the enormous effort needed to prepare for 2028.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026

Even if the shutdown resolution distracts stocks for a bit longer, Nvidia will jolt investors from their malaise next week.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025

I fix Boomer’s breakfast—nothing distracts him like food—and am sitting down to pour myself a bowl of cereal when I realize Lily is staring at me.

From "How to Disappear Completely" by Ali Standish

"When we regulate our circadian rhythm well, our bodies function well, but if it gets too distracted, our bodies don't function as well," Tracy said.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 31, 2026

Voters also are free to fire any politician they regard, fairly or not, as conflicted or distracted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

Extreme weather in the days before the final including ferocious storms, plus flooding and smoke from Canadian forest fires distracted many in the Big Apple.

From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026

Because there are so many Czech players, I don't think this familiarity is something they'll be distracted by.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

My teachers scold me for being so distracted.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

The wicketkeeper at the time, who I won't name, ran on the spot very loudly in a distracting fashion as the bowler was running in.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

You can’t squint past the distracting lens flares.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026

Mice viewed visual cues on a screen and were rewarded when they correctly responded to information displayed directly in front of them while ignoring distracting cues appearing off to the side.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026

She had been using the device in class for months, but only after Lev had the principal send it home did he see how distracting it was.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

But this story doesn’t need eerie coincidences: Leonardo is more than capable of distracting himself.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023