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
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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:
He’s so instantly believable that the movie doesn’t need its traumatic flashbacks to their childhood that distract more than deepen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026
"I have no intention of letting Mr Giuffra's unfair criticism distract my office from getting to the truth."
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
With mounting Russian attacks on the capital, his family is in "constant stress" and he tries to distract himself by planting tomatoes.
From Barron's ● Sep. 26, 2026
I was curious to talk to an FSB agent—and to distract myself from thinking about what would come next.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
“So do you think Mr. Reardon knows why we’re all being gathered together again?” he asked, mostly to distract himself from his own thoughts.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
It’s a shame that the infighting over “Make Believe” distracts from the merits of a book that is, in all respects, a tribute to the possibilities and promise of children’s literature.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
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
She wants to touch the glowing lights and shiny buttons, but Mrs. Shannon steps in and distracts her with a new computer game she’s loaded on the classroom machine.
From "Out of My Mind" by Sharon M. Draper
McCubbin said the trio had "already been distracted" by the diverse wildlife surrounding their tiny studio in the heart of the West's countryside.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
It’s a little like going out with a good-looking guy whose Hinge profile said he loves deep conversation, but he spends the date distracted by his Kalshi bets.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
When questioned Thursday by conservative media outlet Real America's Voice, Zacharia said she had registered to take the bar exam but was then "distracted and overwhelmed" by plans to move with her husband to China.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
“I just get distracted by everything,” he told the New York Times in 2023.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
She must have been distracted or feeling rushed, because after a few minutes she began yanking again.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
Seconds later, a loud buzzing filled the room as two drones flew in through an open doorway and circled a human-shaped dummy, noisily distracting the “attacker” until an actual policeman ran in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
The sets have too many doors, the scenes have a delirious number of extras and the actors yell their lines over the distracting clatter of crackling fireplaces, beeping machines and ticking clocks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
They did at least scramble a half point despite loud music being played by an on-course DJ clearly distracting Woad and Noh as they lined up their final putts.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Owens herself manages to do a bang-up job of distracting people from the way she doesn’t practice what she preaches.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
Nearby, there’s a commotion—one of the candles flares up in blue crackling flames, sparking loudly and distracting even the ogre.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
