distract

play

adjective dis·tract \ di-ˈstrakt , ˈdis-ˌtrakt \

Definition of distract

archaic

:insane, mad

First Known Use of distract

14th century

distract

play

verb dis·tract \ di-ˈstrakt \

Definition of distract

transitive verb

1 a :to turn aside :divert

refused to be distracted from her purpose

b :to draw or direct (something, such as someone's attention) to a different object or in different directions at the same time

was distracted by a sudden noise

2 :to stir up or confuse with conflicting emotions or motives

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distractibility

play \-ˌstrak-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

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distractible

or less commonly distractable play \-ˈstrak-tə-bəl\ adjective

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distractingly

play \-tiŋ-lē\ adverb

See distract defined for English-language learners

See distract defined for kids

Examples of distract in a Sentence

You sneak into his room while I distract him.
He was distracted from his studies.
The students are easily distracted, especially when they're tired.
I was distracted by a loud noise.
The local story distracted attention from news of the war overseas.

Recent Examples of distract from the Web

That could help Republican leaders persuade President Donald Trump and restive conservatives to put off major fiscal battles that could distract from the top GOP goal of a tax overhaul by the end of the year.

— erik wasson, Bloomberg.com, "Harvey May Spur Congress to Avoid Shutdown, Debt-Ceiling Fights," 30 Aug. 2017
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says distracted driving claimed 3,477 lives in 2015.

— david kravets, Ars Technica, "Suit blaming iPhone for student’s death by texting driver is defeated by Apple," 28 Aug. 2017
Parents can program one fob for teen drivers and use a standard teen driver package to monitor and reinforce safe driving habits such as seatbelt use, speed, distracted driving using an industry-first report card.

— emma jayne williams, star-telegram, "New GMC Acadia Denali version gives this SUV the royal treatment," 25 Aug. 2017
Four months later, Arpaio’s team scheduled a press conference to elaborate on their findings and distract from the racial-profiling case against his agency that was about to begin.

— adam k. raymond, Daily Intelligencer, "Birther Friends Forever: How Trump and Sheriff Joe Arpaio Became BFFs," 23 Aug. 2017
Sometimes, the movies aren’t enough to distract her.

— tessa weinberg, The Courier-Journal, "‘Seeing blood on the walls’: Mother of 7-year-old killed by stray bullet struggles with private heartache," 16 Aug. 2017
But who will take up this task if the president is distracted and the top of the civilian command structure is largely populated by senior military officers?

— elliot kaufman, National Review, "Against John Kelly as White House Chief of Staff," 1 Aug. 2017
Mr Putin hopes the World Cup will distract Russians from corruption.

— The Economist, "Extra time and punishmentThe cost overruns on Russia’s World Cup stadiums are staggering," 20 July 2017
For Trump to ignore all that and repeatedly trash-talk his attorney general because of his prudent recusal over the Russia investigation is a pretty clear indication that the president is not just distracted by the probe, but intensely fears it.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "Despite Trump’s Rage at Him, Sessions Will Stay On," 20 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distract.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of distract

Middle English, from Latin distractus, past participle of distrahere, literally, to draw apart, from dis- + trahere to draw

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

distract Synonyms

Synonyms

abstract, call off, detract, divert, throw off

Antonyms

calm, compose, quiet, settle, soothe, tranquilize (also tranquillize)

Related Words

amuse, beguile, entertain; stray, wander

Near Antonyms

concentrate, focus

Synonym Discussion of distract

puzzle, perplex, bewilder, distract, nonplus, confound, dumbfound mean to baffle and disturb mentally. puzzle implies existence of a problem difficult to solve.

- the persistent fever puzzled the doctor

perplex adds a suggestion of worry and uncertainty especially about making a necessary decision.

- a behavior that perplexed her friends

bewilder stresses a confusion of mind that hampers clear and decisive thinking.

- a bewildering number of possibilities

distract implies agitation or uncertainty induced by conflicting preoccupations or interests.

- distracted by personal problems

nonplus implies a bafflement that makes orderly planning or deciding impossible.

- the remark left us utterly nonplussed

confound implies temporary mental paralysis caused by astonishment or profound abasement.

- the tragic news confounded us all

dumbfound suggests intense but momentary confounding; often the idea of astonishment is so stressed that it becomes a near synonym of astound.

- was at first too dumbfounded to reply

DISTRACT Defined for English Language Learners

distract

play

verb

Definition of distract for English Language Learners

: to cause (someone) to stop thinking about or paying attention to someone or something and to think about or pay attention to someone or something else instead
: to take (attention) away from someone or something

DISTRACT Defined for Kids

distract

play

verb dis·tract \ di-ˈstrakt \

Definition of distract for Students

distracted; distracting

:to draw a person's thoughts or attention to something else

The TV distracts me when I'm studying.

Word Root of distract

The Latin word tractus, meaning “pulled” or “dragged,” gives us the root tract. Words from the Latin tractus have to do with being pulled or dragged. To attract is to pull or draw towards you. To distract is to pull someone's attention away from something. To extract is to pull one thing out of another. To subtract is to pull a portion or number away from a group or from a whole.