distraction

noun dis·trac·tion \ di-ˈstrak-shən \

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

—

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

Jordyn, who is tremendously strong and put together while talking about this, says going back to work is a good distraction.

— mariah smith, The Cut, "It Would Be Nice to See Kylie Jenner Do Something for a Friend for Once," 28 Aug. 2017
On tour, though, care of Lövik often falls to Irina, which can be a welcome distraction for her during Sascha’s matches.

— Longreads, "Family Band," 22 Aug. 2017
With the only wins of a 2016 campaign over Nevada, Syracuse, Miami and Army, Kelly opened up about the distractions of the season: fundraising.

— mark heim, AL.com, "Notre Dame's Brian Kelly gets blunt, drops obscenity about fundraising during last season," 17 Aug. 2017
Without the nocturnal distractions of a big city, students grow more resourceful in creating their own fun—ably lubricated by the almost 30 pubs in town.

— howard swains, Town & Country, "How Scotland's University of St. Andrews Became a Top American School," 24 July 2017
While for many, Microsoft Paint was nothing more than a distraction, in its nearly 32 years the program has been used to make some seriously impressive creations.

— ben panko, Smithsonian, "After Fans Rally Around App, Windows Announced It Will Save Microsoft Paint," 24 July 2017
Even unsuccessful suits are an unwelcome distraction from running a business, Mr Margulies laments.

— The Economist, "Bye-bye, BenitoAn overhaul of Brazilian labour law should spur job creation," 20 July 2017
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.

— catherine lucey, chicagotribune.com, "Trump pulls out props for latest 'theme week'," 19 July 2017
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?

— michael tanner, National Review, "Entitlements Are Out of Control," 19 July 2017

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

distraction Synonyms

Synonyms

bafflement, bamboozlement, befuddlement, bemusement, bewilderedness, bewilderment, confusedness, discombobulation, confusion, fog, head-scratching, maze [chiefly dialect], muddle, mystification, perplexity, puzzlement, tangle, whirl

Antonyms

bore, bummer, downer, drag

Related Words

abashment, discomfiture, disconcertment, embarrassment, mortification; agitation, chagrin, discomfort, dismay, disquiet, distress, disturbance, perturbation, upset; bother, commotion, dither, flurry, fluster, fuss, stew, turmoil

Near Antonyms

assurance, certainty, certitude, confidence, conviction, positiveness, sureness

DISTRACTION Defined for English Language Learners

distraction

noun

Definition of distraction for English Language Learners

: 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