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:
She had bottled up her emotions for months, afraid that leaning in to them would draw unwanted attention and distract her from the task of helping her son.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
These tools may offer real benefits even as they addict and distract us.
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
But Ivan could distract Dyedka and Babulya for only so long.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
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
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
Like my literary betters, I sometimes worry that reading distracts me from writing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 16, 2026
Or, like Dad, they pay attention to stuff that distracts them from the more important things that they’re ignoring.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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
While Jesus is engaged with the world outside himself, Mary’s state is one of remote, distracted inwardness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
“Stay on message. Do not get distracted by shiny objects. Because those shiny objects, according to the data, won’t help us win.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 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
Boaz had been so distracted by Edelman’s snack preferences that he was certain he must have heard him wrong.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
It’s slightly distracting that his character was assembled by a basket weaver out of wicker, but it takes only a bit of adjustment to get used to the creaking noises he makes when he moves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Probably because the danger it poses to the economy is so distracting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Others feel this is an overreaction - distracting from how difficult it is to secure a job - or even just get an interview in the first place.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 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
The forest was seething with an army of wild animals, distracting the robot, luring the terrible thing deeper into their trap.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
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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.
