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:
For Gen. Munir, glowing headlines abroad may distract from growing troubles at home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
But the huge purchases have also often drawn accusations of sportswashing - sponsoring or hosting sporting events to promote a positive public image and distract attention from human rights issues.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Maybe it will help distract people from gas prices, maybe only die-hards will care.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
Lineage said in a statement Tuesday that the permit application “will not impact or distract us from the important work of cleanup,” which remains the company’s top priority.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
To distract himself, Jackson thought of all the fun times he’d had with Uncle Solly over the years.
From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis
Led by Susan Angelo, Jan Wikstrom and Ellen Geer, this ensemble, under the direction of Willow Geer, diverts and distracts from the mustier aspects of Coward’s style.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
An exhibition at the American Folk Art Museum distracts from its charming objects with a a heavy-handed curatorial message.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Ultimately, the fixation on Hasan Piker distracts from more substantive issues.
From Salon ● May 2, 2026
He added speculation about Sr Keir's leadership and constant rumours about who might replace him "distracts and detracts" from the job Labour MPs were trying to do.
From BBC ● Apr. 29, 2026
“Cuts off its tail while the other distracts it in front.”
From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan
Voters also are free to fire any politician they regard, fairly or not, as conflicted or distracted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
Extreme weather in the days before the final including ferocious storms, plus flooding and smoke from Canadian forest fires distracted many in the Big Apple.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
Despite the Belgium defeat, Balogun, who did not score in the game, does not feel it distracted Mauricio Pochettino's side.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Today, however, social media may be helping to keep consumers distracted, the TD Cowen analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
I know I’ve been a bit distracted, but for the most part I’ve been getting my work done.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
The wicketkeeper at the time, who I won't name, ran on the spot very loudly in a distracting fashion as the bowler was running in.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
And then, are all these added elements distracting?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Across institutions, AI systems aren’t simply connecting or distracting us; they are increasingly shaping the information environment itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Mice viewed visual cues on a screen and were rewarded when they correctly responded to information displayed directly in front of them while ignoring distracting cues appearing off to the side.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 24, 2026
I kick the dirt a little, distracting him, I hope, in case my face is looking too excited.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
