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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Even unsuccessful suits are an unwelcome distraction from running a business, Mr Margulies laments.
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But while this week has offered the White House's most creative use of visual aids, it may be headed for the same fate as past themed efforts, which often couldn't compete with a rapid-fire news cycle and Trump's own talents for distraction.
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Of course, after the health-care debacle, and given the president’s other distractions, does anyone really believe that all those cuts are going to happen?
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Rather than engaging in political distractions, the government should aggressively target multinationals like Facebook or Google, which skirt the law to minimize their tax contributions, Jacobsen said.
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For those of us enduring some of the worst heatwaves in decades, a little booze-by-popsicle is a very welcome distraction.
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And maybe this is all a major distraction and somewhere, in the woods/in front of a bush, Taylor is putting the finishing touches on her new album. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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The possible distraction from the TMZ report is worth considering.
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Of special value to the school’s one-year-old food science degree program will be a new, walled-off sensory lab that will allow participants to sample food in a neutral environment unaffected by sounds, smells or other distractions.
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
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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