distraction

noun dis·trac·tion \ di-ˈstrak-shən \

|Updated on: 7 Jul 2018

Examples: distraction in a Sentence

1 : 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

2 : the act of distracting or the state of being distracted; especially : mental confusion

driven to distraction by their endless chatter

—

distractive

play \-ˈstrak-tiv\ adjective

See distraction defined for English-language learners

See distraction defined for kids

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

Could be argued this is a distraction from venture capitalists’ core mission — to help startups.

— theodore schleifer, Recode, "Why are big VCs opening up crypto funds?," 21 June 2018
In the meantime, the Space Force is a distraction, says Kingston Reif, director for disarmament and threat reduction policy at the Arms Control Association, in an email to The Verge.

— rachel becker, The Verge, "Trump’s Space Force may actually be more of a bureaucratic nightmare," 20 June 2018
The smoked mozzarella on his signature Tamaki pie is a revelation, but no order is complete without a marinara pizza, because any cheese is ultimately a distraction from the towering achievement of his crust.

— stan parish, WSJ, "‘Go Beyond Sushi’: Tokyo’s Culinary Gems," 19 June 2018
Her delight in clothing and adornment is never a distraction from her art, but instead an intrinsic part of it.

— hamish bowles, Vogue, "Behind the Personal Branding of Frida Kahlo," 18 June 2018
The company stands for minimalism; a distraction-free interface fits well with the Apple ethos.

— arielle pardes, WIRED, "Tech Addiction and the Paradox of Apple's 'Screen Time' Tools," 5 June 2018
And the confusion is a distraction from running his business.

— joyce m. rosenberg, Houston Chronicle, "Lingering limbo: Businesses uncertain about tax law impact," 27 May 2018
Many blacks say the royal wedding is a distraction from the rise of intolerance and anti-immigrant nativism in Brexit-era Britain.

— ellen barry, BostonGlobe.com, "Royal bride-to-be lifts young black Londoners," 12 May 2018
Children aren’t a distraction from more important work.

— jamie ballard, Good Housekeeping, "Audrey Roloff's Latest Photos of Daughter Ember Have Fans Up in Arms," 10 May 2018

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 ¹distract

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 2

See Words from the same year

distraction Synonyms

DISTRACTION Defined for English Language Learners

distraction

noun

: something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention
: something that amuses or entertains you so that you do not think about problems, work, etc.
: a state in which you are very annoyed or upset