distraction

American  

[dih-strak-shuhn] / dɪˈstræk ʃən /

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.

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distraction British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of distraction

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

Example Sentences

It’s cute, fun to drive and made by a company whose leadership isn’t as bogged down with robots, robotaxis and other potential distractions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Foreign policy analysts would normally consider distraction to be a lazy and unprofessional explanation for major actions like wars, if not a symptom of paranoid conspiracy thinking.

From Salon

The ATP rulebook states that any distractions caused by a player "result in the loss of a point" regardless of if the hindrance was intentional or unintentional.

From BBC

Seeing the movie in a hushed theater is ideal; viewing it at home would almost certainly bring in distractions that would dilute the experience.

From The Wall Street Journal

He revealed his wife was pregnant after leaving the I'm A Celebrity jungle last December, calling the news "a healthy distraction" and "partly healing".

From BBC

Related Words

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