distract
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
- distracter noun
- distractibility noun
- distractible adjective
- distracting adjective
- distractingly adverb
- distractive adjective
- distractively adverb
- nondistracting adjective
- nondistractingly adverb
- undistracting adjective
- undistractingly adverb
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”
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.
The narrative wanders through exuberant wordplay and digressions that can become distracting.
It can be loud and distracting and obnoxious.
From Los Angeles Times
But when the basement lights were off and the others were distracted, a four-year-old could hide on the stairs and peep over the railing to see all of “Titanic,” rated PG-13 by the way.
The broader weakness and the Iran war may have distracted investors from just how bad things have gotten for the megacap market leaders.
From Barron's
Maybe we need a 3D-animated remake of “Dr. Strangelove” to convince today’s distracted generations that nuclear bombs are not an aesthetic.
From Salon
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.
