distracted
Americanadjective
-
having the attention diverted.
She tossed several rocks to the far left and slipped past the distracted sentry.
-
rendered incapable of behaving, reacting, etc., in a normal manner, as by worry, remorse, or the like; irrational; disturbed.
adjective
-
bewildered; confused
-
mad
Other Word Forms
- distractedly adverb
- distractedness noun
- nondistracted adjective
- nondistractedly adverb
- undistracted adjective
- undistractedly adverb
- undistractedness noun
Etymology
Origin of distracted
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.
In footage shared earlier this week, Woods told officers that he was briefly distracted by his phone before he clipped the trailer of a vehicle in front of him.
From Salon • Apr. 2, 2026
But he’s wary of getting distracted from other areas of his business.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
As long as Woodson isn’t distracted, Wise is fine with it.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026
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 • Mar. 25, 2026
Even Daniel, distracted as he always was, would have noticed the heavy feeling behind this, but that was the exact moment Alicia rose from her seat and walked up the aisle to the hawk.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
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.
