distraction

[dih-strak-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of distracting.

2. the state of being distracted. distracted.

3. mental distress or derangement.

   That child will drive me to distraction.

   Synonyms: craziness, insanity, lunacy, madness

4. that which distracts, divides the attention, or prevents concentration.

   The distractions of the city interfere with my studies.

5. that which amuses, entertains, or diverts; amusement; entertainment.

   Fishing is his major distraction.

6. division or disorder caused by dissension; tumult.

distraction

/ dɪˈstrækʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of distracting or the state of being distracted

2. something that serves as a diversion or entertainment

3. an interruption; an obstacle to concentration

4. mental turmoil or madness

Word History and Origins

Origin of distraction¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin distractiōn-, stem of distractiō “separation”; equivalent to distract + -ion

Example Sentences

But a deputy early on warned him his ideas were stacking up and becoming a distraction for his team, saying: You have enough ideas per minute, per day to destroy Amazon.

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But rather than a distraction, it redoubles the impact.

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Elsewhere we learn that, during the 1978 coup d’état, the hotel’s chefs “whipped up special dishes, turning tender steaks and scrumptious cakes into weapons of distraction.”

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Heaf added that the expansion into new categories had been a distraction.

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Another candidate for adaptation is the Stanley-Brown safety plan, a reference document where patients list coping strategies, helpful distractions and trusted contacts on a one-page sheet that can be easily accessed in a crisis.

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Related Words

• aberration 
• complication 
• confusion 
• disturbance 
• diversion 
• interference 
• interruption