distracted

adjective

dis·tract·ed | \ di-ˈstrak-təd

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

Other Words from distracted Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about distracted

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Choose the Right Synonym for 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. 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 absentminded implies that the mind is fixed elsewhere and often refers to a habit of abstractedness. so absentminded, 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

Once at the summit venue, Mr. Trump seemed too distracted to notice that he was supposed to stop for a group photo after greeting Argentine President Mauricio Macri. — Alex Leary, WSJ, "Distractions From Near and Far Colored the Group of 20 Talks," 2 Dec. 2018 According to a TxDOT news release, there has been a 6 percent decrease in distracted driving crashes in Texas when comparing the 12 month periods before and after the ban took effect on Sept. 1, 2017. — Valeria Olivares, ExpressNews.com, "San Antonio, the worst place in Texas for distracted driving, is launch site for campaign against it," 4 June 2019 Among the items: — A crackdown on distracted and impaired drivers. — David Koenig, The Seattle Times, "Safety board highlights need for transportation improvements," 4 Feb. 2019 Casey’s death moved Feldman to not just become an advocate against distracted driving, but to actually go to school and get a master’s degree in counseling. — Doug Turnbull, ajc, "Gridlock Guy: Parents, kids work together to stop distracted driving," 26 Apr. 2018 But Winsten, who is associate dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, also believes that the looming fight against distracted driving will be more difficult. — Fredrick Kunkle, chicagotribune.com, "How to reduce distracted driving in same way as drunk driving? Shame," 8 May 2017 Lane Keeping Assist may be insufficient to alert a fatigued or distracted driver of lane drift and cannot be relied on to avoid an accident or serious injury. — Popular Mechanics Editors, Popular Mechanics, "The All-New 2019 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Is Pushing Commercial Utility Into the Future," 1 Dec. 2018 Everyone on staff has suffered at least one of these (or its awful cousin, the ISP outage) and been left distracted or set back to some extent. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "How I went from testing a fancy new graphics card to shouting at Windows 10," 24 Nov. 2018 Since joining in October, Figueroa said he’s more attentive in class and can write essays without getting distracted. — Avalon R. Zoppo, Philly.com, "It's called the 'golf of martial arts,' but this Camden school is making Kumdo more inclusive," 31 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.