Definition of distraction
1 : the act of distracting or the state of being distracted; especially : mental confusion driven to distraction by their endless chatter
2 : something that distracts : an object that directs one's attention away from something else turned off her phone to limit distractions One created a distraction while the other grabbed the money.; especially : amusement a harmless distraction a book of word puzzles and other distractions
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Examples of distraction in a Sentence
It was hard to work with so many distractions.
One of them created a distraction while the other grabbed the money.
A weekend at the beach was a good distraction from her troubles.
Their endless chatter drove her to distraction.
Recent Examples of distraction from the Web
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But before long, Muldrow was yelling, and not even Lacy's exuberant cornet riffs could provide sufficient distraction.
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Trump has hired an outside attorney and reportedly dedicated an entire team to the issue -- in an apparent attempt to limit the amount of distraction the issue is creating for his legislative agenda.
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Some schools have banned the spinners as a distraction or choking hazard.
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More schools, including in the New Orleans area, see the toys as a distraction and are banning them.
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They can be seen, depending on one’s politics, as necessary watchdog actions against the Democrats, or as time-sucking, frivolous distractions by a partisan rival.
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While a potential distraction for EU expansion, Brexit won’t affect Bulgaria’s trade much because bilateral volumes are low, according to Goranov.
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Given these distractions, White House officials and top Republicans had hoped that an ambitious legislative agenda could stabilize the presidency heading into the August break.
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But the hotel's most impressive feature would have to be its eye-popping natural backdrop -- even with all the colorful distractions, the looming San Jacinto mountains steal the show every time.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'distraction'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of distraction
see 2distract
First Known Use: 15th century
DISTRACTION Defined for English Language Learners
distraction
playDefinition of distraction for English Language Learners
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: something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention
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: something that amuses or entertains you so that you do not think about problems, work, etc.
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: a state in which you are very annoyed or upset
DISTRACTION Defined for Kids
distraction
playDefinition of distraction for Students
1 : something that makes it hard to pay attention One robber created a distraction and the other grabbed the money.
2 : the act of having thoughts or attention drawn away : the state of drawing thoughts or attention away … he needed to clear his head, to flush away all distraction … — Jerry Spinelli, Maniac Magee
3 : confusion of thoughts or feelings Their endless chatter drove me to distraction.
4 : something that amuses or entertains The game was a good distraction during the long car ride.
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about distraction
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See words that rhyme with distraction Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for distraction Spanish Central: Translation of distraction Nglish: Translation of distraction for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of distraction for Arabic speakers
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