distracted
Americanadjective
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having the attention diverted.
She tossed several rocks to the far left and slipped past the distracted sentry.
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rendered incapable of behaving, reacting, etc., in a normal manner, as by worry, remorse, or the like; irrational; disturbed.
adjective
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bewildered; confused
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mad
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of distracted
Explanation
When you're distracted, something else has your attention, making you lose focus or become nervous. If a dog keeps barking or a car alarm won't stop going off, it's easy to become distracted: annoyed and not very focused on what you're trying to do. We also say people are distracted when they're worried about something. If you think you might lose your job, you'll be distracted by thinking about it. Knowing a family member has a disease can make you distracted with worries. When you're distracted, your mind is somewhere else.
Vocabulary lists containing distracted
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 16–19
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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Out of the Dust
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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.
"He started crying a little bit and said he wishes he hadn't done it and then kept going around and just doing stuff, I think to keep himself busy or distracted or something," Twiggs said.
From BBC • Jul. 11, 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
New employees complete a questionnaire that asks how they work best, including their time zone, peak work hours and what times of day they’re most distracted.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
He began to make sculptures of plants, and the more elaborate he made them, the more it distracted his mind.
From "Abel's Island" by William Steig
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.
