distract
Americanverb (used with object)
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distracts,
present (3rd person singular)
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distracted,
past participle, past
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distracting
present participle
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to draw away or divert, as the mind or attention.
The music distracted him from his work.
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to disturb or trouble greatly in mind; beset.
Grief distracted him.
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to provide a pleasant diversion for; amuse; entertain.
I'm bored with bridge, but golf still distracts me.
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to separate or divide by dissension or strife.
adjective
verb
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(often passive) to draw the attention of (a person) away from something
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to divide or confuse the attention of (a person)
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to amuse or entertain
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to trouble greatly
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to make mad
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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distracternoun
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distractibilitynoun
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distractibleadjective
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distractingadjective
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distractiveadjective
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nondistractingadjective
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undistractingadjective
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distractinglyadverb
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distractivelyadverb
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nondistractinglyadverb
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undistractinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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distractsimple
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distractssimple
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have distractedperfect
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has distractedperfect
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am distractingprogressive
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are distractingprogressive
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is distractingprogressive
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have been distractingperfect progressive
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has been distractingperfect progressive
Past
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distractedsimple
-
had distractedperfect
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was distractingprogressive
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were distractingprogressive
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had been distractingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing distract
List 3
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"In the Spotlight," Vocabulary from the informational text
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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:
Several large Vampire drones were serving to distract the enemy’s attention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
He’s so instantly believable that the movie doesn’t need its traumatic flashbacks to their childhood that distract more than deepen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
With mounting Russian attacks on the capital, his family is in "constant stress" and he tries to distract himself by planting tomatoes.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
When the fight ended, "there was no longer anything to distract me," Daria says.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Even her trusty Giddy-Yap, Rainbow! books failed to distract her.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
It’s a shame that the infighting over “Make Believe” distracts from the merits of a book that is, in all respects, a tribute to the possibilities and promise of children’s literature.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Ultimately, the fixation on Hasan Piker distracts from more substantive issues.
From Salon ● May 2, 2026
The attacker's unusual position drags Van Dijk away from the right side of the pitch and distracts him as PSG build up to what resulted in a goal.
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 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
It distracts me and I forget not just the gist of the conversation, but its entire direction as well.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
McCubbin said the trio had "already been distracted" by the diverse wildlife surrounding their tiny studio in the heart of the West's countryside.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
It’s a little like going out with a good-looking guy whose Hinge profile said he loves deep conversation, but he spends the date distracted by his Kalshi bets.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
Maher said the two high-profile controversies have distracted the conversation around the death penalty away from the fundamental question of whether the US should use capital punishment in the first place.
From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026
“Stay on message. Do not get distracted by shiny objects. Because those shiny objects, according to the data, won’t help us win.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
Mr. Shareef was distracted by all the robots on display in the shop.
From "The Wild Robot Escapes" by Peter Brown
Investors may worry that the affair, besides being a distracting embarrassment, could invite a government response that limits its chip sales.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
The sets have too many doors, the scenes have a delirious number of extras and the actors yell their lines over the distracting clatter of crackling fireplaces, beeping machines and ticking clocks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
The debate has also been met with criticism from sceptics who say the focus on AI's hypothetical future risks distracting from more immediate concerns around the technology, such as its environmental impact.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
They did at least scramble a half point despite loud music being played by an on-course DJ clearly distracting Woad and Noh as they lined up their final putts.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
I just hoped Annabeth could stay alive and keep distracting him long enough for me, to find Grover and Clarisse.
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
