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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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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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:
Maybe it will help distract people from gas prices, maybe only die-hards will care.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
The dangers once again are that U.S. automakers might be too late to catch current trends, or that these pursuits distract them from their core business.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 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
And without Jonathan to distract her with singing, she would probably get hysterical.
From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret
Ultimately, the fixation on Hasan Piker distracts from more substantive issues.
From Salon ● May 2, 2026
The sampling of funk and glam rock classics momentarily distracts us from the nonsensical staging choices and hopped-up gags, but only for so long.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 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
That framing may be clear in Mr. Sheehan’s mind, but it distracts from a straightforward account of how sacrifice functioned for religious and political leaders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
Ms. Holly shrugs, a frown clouding her face until Julie Zawacki, waving her hand like an overenthusiastic first grader, distracts her.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
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
Today, however, social media may be helping to keep consumers distracted, the TD Cowen analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
During one observation, a centipede preyed on the distracted isopods while they remained caught in the swirling formation.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026
And by making those effects more bearable, it distracted from the essential fight against the causes.
From BBC ● Jun. 24, 2026
“All of your teachers have said that you seem distracted, and you haven’t been to lunchtime study hall in weeks.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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
And then, are all these added elements distracting?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
“Having the two leading U.S. names in dispute risks distracting the sector at the moment Washington says it wants a domestic industry built,” one expert said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 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
No clue who this “Rae” is, but I’m not okay with some girl distracting my best friend while I’m sitting right here.
From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
