distracted

adjective

dis·​tract·​ed di-ˈstrak-təd 

1

: having one's thoughts or attention drawn away : unable to concentrate or give attention to something

a distracted driver

… everyone else … is too distracted to see how lost and yearning she has become …

—Richard Schickel

… used to get so distracted by cellphone conversations overheard on the bus that she couldn't focus on reading.

—Roni Caryn Rabin

2

: harassed, confused, or disturbed especially by strong feelings

a mind distracted by grief

… putting that poor gentleman through a course of questions that nearly drove him distracted.

—Louisa May Alcott

distractedly adverb

distractedness noun

Synonyms

• agitated
• delirious
• distrait
• distraught
• frantic
• frenzied
• hysterical
• hysteric

Choose the Right Synonym for distracted

abstracted, preoccupied, absent, absent-minded, distracted mean inattentive to what claims or demands consideration.

abstracted implies absorption of the mind in something other than one's surroundings, and often suggests reflection on weighty matters.

walking about with an abstracted air

preoccupied often implies having one's attention so taken up by thoughts as to neglect others.

too preoccupied with her debts to enjoy the meal

absent stresses inability to fix the mind on present concerns due more to mental wandering than to concentration on other matters.

an absent stare

absent-minded implies that the mind is fixed elsewhere and often refers to a habit of abstractedness.

so absent-minded, he's been known to wear mismatched shoes

distracted may suggest an inability to concentrate caused by worry, sorrow, or anxiety.

was too distracted by grief to continue working

Examples of distracted in a Sentence

If you're feeling distracted, take a break.

she's been distracted about her son ever since he left on that polar expedition

Recent Examples on the Web

United is releasing a new onboard safety video the airline hopes will capture the attention of distracted passengers, even on multiple viewings. —Joel Rose, NPR, 16 May 2024

Indeed, safety experts have been sounding a warning for years that the expanding screen size and proliferation of new touchscreen features have a direct correlation to the rise in distracted driving. —Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 15 May 2024

Pennsylvania will join the majority of states that ban motorists from handling a cell phone for almost any purpose while driving, as backers of the legislation hope to reduce distracted driving accidents and deaths after nearly two decades of pressing the measure. —Marc Levy, Fortune, 10 May 2024

These lures mimic bream that are either distracted and feeding along the surface or injured and struggling. —Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 9 May 2024

Speeding and distracted driving are leading factors in traffic collisions: A car that hits a pedestrian at 35 mph is five times more likely to kill them than at 20 mph. —Nicole Efron, The Mercury News, 29 Mar. 2024

But the film does slyly comment on the absurdity of the process, as when a struggling Kinney finally manages to make a phone call to the base, only to be hung up on by the man answering who’s too distracted by the ballgame. —Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Feb. 2024

According to the National Highway and Traffic Administration, distracted driving kills more than 3,000 people across the U.S. every year; in Michigan in 2022, there were 53 fatal crashes where police determined distracted driving was a factor. —Detroit Free Press, 12 Apr. 2024

Beam said traffic accidents are to be expected as a result of the influx of people because of out-of-towners unaccustomed to using two-lane highways and distracted drivers looking at the sky during the eclipse. —Sadie Lacicero, arkansasonline.com, 7 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 2