distraction

noun

dis·trac·tion | \ di-ˈstrak-shən

Definition of distraction

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

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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 on the Web

There were failures and distractions along the way. — Scott Bauer, The Seattle Times, "Walker leaves a fundamentally changed Wisconsin," 7 Jan. 2019 Both of the aforementioned, and a whole lot of boisterous beauty trends that, at the very least, gave us a distraction from the state of the world. — Cazzie David, Vogue, "2018’s Most Ridiculous Moments in Beauty—And Beyond!—According to Cazzie David," 22 Dec. 2018 No distractions allows for vetted, insured workers to transform the space in a three-week timeframe. — Sara Rodrigues, House Beautiful, "This Renovation Start-Up Wants To Deliver Your New Bathroom To You," 17 Dec. 2018 With a desire to keep that momentum going, devices like the NES Classic and its SNES counterpart present a distraction. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "This Christmas May Be Your Last Chance to Get a NES or SNES Classic," 14 Dec. 2018 Keep distractions to a minimum Texting while driving? — Seventeen Editors, Seventeen, "7 Driving Tips For Teens That'll Seriously Help You Become a Pro On The Road," 14 Dec. 2018 In an unusually hot summer, the football, an England team that people could get behind, has been a hugely welcome distraction. — Jonathan Wilson, SI.com, "England's World Cup Run, Southgate Represent More for a Nation in Political Upheaval," 12 July 2018 Bored kids also count as distractions, so entertain them for hours with movies, coloring books, and car games, like these printable roadside bingo cards. — Brigitt Earley, Woman's Day, "6 Ways to Stay Safe on Your Next Family Road Trip," 29 Nov. 2018 Venus Williams has tuned out all manner of distractions on her way to becoming one of the most successful women to set foot on a tennis court. — Sean Gregory, Time, "Venus Williams Is Still in the Game—On and Off the Court," 21 June 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.

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Last Updated

20 Jan 2019

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Time Traveler for distraction

The first known use of distraction was in the 15th century

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More Definitions for distraction

distraction

noun

English Language Learners Definition of distraction

: 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

See the full definition for distraction in the English Language Learners Dictionary

distraction

noun

dis·trac·tion | \ di-ˈstrak-shən

Kids Definition of distraction

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.