distracted

adjective dis·tract·ed \ di-ˈstrak-təd \

|Updated on: 20 Jul 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: distracted in a Sentence

Definition of distracted

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 deranged 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

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distractedly

adverb

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distractedness

noun

See distracted defined for English-language learners

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 of distracted from the Web

Automaker Ford has experimented with virtual reality, immersing viewers in a pit crew at Le Mans and simulating distracted driving to teach teens in Europe about roadway safety.

— miranda moore, latimes.com, "'Uncle Drew' shows that audiences will pay to watch branded content," 5 July 2018
As more states look to refine their own distracted driving laws, there is some concern among driver safety proponents that laws crafted too specifically could need to be reworked again a few years down the road.

— mike snider, USA TODAY, "You can't stream video while driving, more states decide as distracted driving deaths rise," 28 June 2018
One reels from outrage and pain to distracted avoidance, even numbness.

— rhonda garelick, The Cut, "The Jacket Heard Round the World," 22 June 2018
Tempe has a distracted driving law that lets police cite drivers for talking on the phone or texting, but only if police think the drivers pose a risk to themselves or others.

— jen fifield, azcentral, "How one metro Phoenix city may crack down on cellphone use while driving," 19 June 2018
With the assistance of nursemaid/housekeeper Mrs. Blott, Maisie is raised by her father, Peter, a distracted academic who treats his daughter more like an experiment than as a child.

— michael berry, San Francisco Chronicle, "Science fiction and fantasy books: ‘Belly Up,’ ‘What Should Be Wild,’ ‘84K’," 7 June 2018
Another 1,722 were for seatbelt violations and 1,598 were for distracted driving infractions.

— ted slowik, Daily Southtown, "Slowik: For police who want to stop speeding, it's all in the numbers," 18 May 2018
Zion police officers issued 32 warnings and 19 tickets for operating a motor vehicle in violation of state laws designed to prohibit distracted driving.

— frank abderholden, Lake County News-Sun, "Hundreds of people cited for distracted driving across Lake County during statewide campaign," 7 May 2018
Tempe police have released camera footage of the crash, and in an inward-facing video of the cockpit, the Uber human backup driver appears distracted and looking down in the moments leading up to the fatal collision with Herzberg.

— david muller, Car and Driver, "Waymo Chief Says His Company’s Self-Driving Tech “Would Be Able to Handle” Fatal Uber Crash Scenario," 26 Mar. 2018

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

First Known Use of distracted

1576

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

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distracted Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of distracted

abstracted, preoccupied, absent, absentminded, 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.